Fireball Faerie
by soulful-sin
Summary: A series of one-shots dealing with Tootie and her fairy godfather, who's a little different than expected...The next one-shot is up! Yay!
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Since Devin/Deborvak seemed popular in the last "A Boy and his Poof" chapter, I thought I'd introduce him as he is on LJ, through a series of one-shots. The universe in which he exists is an LJ series exclusive, so you'll need some background info. Tootie is a half breed faerie, fathered by Juandissimo (this series was written a couple years before "Fairly Odd Baby", and it is assumed interspecies babies are bred in the traditional way). This is why Fairy World has been trying to ignore her, because half breeds are a blotch on their record.

They decide they can ignore her no longer, and she must be trained, so they send another half breed, Deborvak, to train her/serve as her godfather.

Except Deborvak's…a little different than Cosmo and Wanda.

Enter the Deb

Tootie had always known of faeries. From the moment she could walk, she knew something strange occurred in the universe, something not explained by science or man. Until recently, she had assumed her role in magic was ancillary; to observe and to keep Timmy's secret. Then she had learned she was actually a half faerie herself, despite not being able to exhibit any powers beyond a normal human. They had to be 'unlocked', guided by a faerie.

Her father wouldn't help, despite suiting the criteria. Juandissimo Magnifico was interested in few things, his appearance and ego superseding almost everything, and impressing Wanda with his daughter was higher on the list than actually spending time with Tootie. Tootie had thought this was the end of it- her father would arrive once in a while to try and cajole Tootie into interacting more with Timmy and company, in order to facilitate a dialogue between himself and Wanda. Wanda would refuse to play along, and she'd be left, no better off than she was before, still subject to Vicky's whims and unable to funnel her magic or frustration into something constructive.

At the moment, she watched Timmy's soccer game, where Cosmo, Wanda, and little Poof were cheering Timmy on. Tootie normally would have joined them, except she felt like she was being watched. Remy Buxaplenty and her father were in Paris, since his parents were on a business trip and dragged him along with them. Wanda had assured Tootie the anti faeries were safely back in their new Anti Fairy World, and no anti Tootie existed because Tootie was only half faerie, not full blooded. She also didn't see anyone else who could have been watching her- Vicky was tormenting another poor slob, and her parents were enjoying a rare respite.

Curious, she edged her way off the stands and toward the school. It was an uphill walk and she looked to her right. Disguised as a squirrel, Wanda had joined her. After a moment's indecision, Cosmo and Poof had come along too.

"What's the matter, sweetie?" Wanda asked.

"You're not gonna see the game from here!" Cosmo said. He and Poof were disguised as squirrels too; Poof was an adorable baby squirrel Tootie would normally fawn over, if her nerves weren't on edge.

"Tootie?" Poof inquired. After about four months of Tootie observing Poof and Cosmo and Wanda keeping Poof away from Tootie, just in case, they'd finally had a meeting a few weeks ago. Wanda wasn't certain what might happen if a baby faerie met a half blooded one, and they wanted to be sure. Plus, Poof usually hated being away from his brother so much convincing him to stay away for even a few minutes was hard. At the moment, he craned his head and whined, staring at Timmy playing defense a hundred feet away.

"There's someone here," Tootie said. She stared at a tree about ten feet away and brilliant violet eyes stared back at her. A raven with a shimmering crown atop its head flew to another branch and contemplated her.

"That's not Juandissimo…" Wanda mused.

Cosmo scanned the stands and Poof began to whimper, still staring at Timmy.

"I guess we'd better go back to the game," Cosmo said and vanished with Poof. Wanda remained, following Tootie to the tree. The raven lingered and its head changed from a normal animal to a humanoid. Its hair appeared black, but was actually a deep purple, and its eyes were only a shade off its hair color. The ears were pointed, unlike most true faerie, and he smiled at them. There seemed to be something slightly off about him.

"Hello," he said.

"I don't mean to be rude," Tootie said, eyes narrowing, "but who are you?"

"Come closer," he said and, with misgivings, she and Wanda did. Producing a wand, he generated sparks and a little flashing name tag.

"I'm Deborvak and I'm…your new faerie godfather," he said. Tootie opened her mouth and he continued. "I know about the whole situation. Jorgen filled me in. They thought it was best for someone to run damage control, before the situation got any worse. They wanted to pull Juandissimo off godparent duty, but the last time Remy lost Juandissimo…"

Tootie stared, perplexed, and Wanda quickly informed her. She nodded and folded her arms across her chest.

"Don't you normally have a flashy entrance?" she said.

"I was put on assignment about an hour ago," he said. "I didn't really have time. Plus..." He cast a disparaging look at the crowd. "Too many human witnesses. I suppose I could have waited until you got home, but what fun would that be?"

"I've never heard of you," Wanda said.

"I'm a half breed," Deborvak said and shrugged. "Jorgen put me on 'cuz I volunteered, not 'cuz there's any shortage of faerie godparents in Fairy World. 'Sides, no one else really wanted the job."

Tootie glowered. "Thanks."

He stared at her. "Payin' you a compliment, kid. I know what it's like to be a misfit. An' from one half blood to another, I think it oughta be fun. Plus, you won't forget about me the way Timmy will."

Wanda grimaced. "That's all very well and good, but why did Jorgen suddenly decide to not ignore Tootie?"

"Something to do with magic she might have already unleashed unwittingly," Deborvak said, affecting a disinterested attitude. Tootie sized him up. He acted like he was stupid, but his gaze pierced and there was a cool, reasoning mind behind it. It reminded her of Vicky when she wasn't actively being evil, just contemplating.

"You can't give us more than that?" Wanda asked.

"I could, but it doesn't seem pertinent at the moment," he said. The briskness in his voice gave Wanda pause and she shut her mouth on a reply.

"Let's go watch the game," Deb said to Tootie. "It might be interesting."

Wanda disappeared to her boys, and Deborvak transformed into a chipmunk at Tootie's feet. Tootie frowned at him.

"You were rude to Wanda," she said.

Deb tensed, taking several stiff steps. "I…don't…like other faeries."

Tootie stared at him. His eyes darted around and he changed into a flag for her. She clambered back onto the stands and noticed Deborvak's eyes lingering on the other faeries. He remained frozen, more like a plastic flag than a living, breathing creature, and only smiled minutely when Poof's eyes met his. He trembled once in a while.

"Not to be nosy, but why don't you like other faeries?" she asked.

"Flags can't talk," he said. She groaned, nodding at Cosmo, Wanda, and Poof, who were frolicking animals near the sidelines so they could talk to Timmy. Poof looked up at his god brother with admiration and love. Wanda, in the meanwhile, was tossing nuts back and forth to Cosmo, though her gaze shot to Deb every once in a while. Deb flinched.

"Neither can animals," she pointed out. "And besides, everyone thinks I'm weird anyway, since I have Vicky for a sister."

"Heh," he said, keeping as close an eye on Timmy's faeries as Wanda was on him. Deb shuddered again and turned his head to stare at the game.

"Weird…" she said. She should be grateful Fairy World had sent her a godparent at all, since they'd spent so much time ignoring her. But why had they sent her this one? He was all jumpy and nervous. Then again, he had volunteered…

She tickled the flag and Deb pretended to bite her. She yelped and he grinned at her, not looking the other faeries now. In fact, without them in his line of sight, he relaxed and stopped being so stiff in her hand.

"Flags don't bite either," she said.

"That's only a matter of opinion," he countered. "I'm sure there a lot of things that you think don't bite but secretly do…and they're all trying to bite _you_."

He shifted again into a scarf and nipped her arm. She yelped and he laughed, prompting her to giggle. He grinned at her.

"Aw, man, this arm is Tootie flavored," he said. "I want a refund."

"Sorry, I'm all you can eat," she said.

"That's what she said,"

Tootie's eyes widened. "Wow. You're not kid friendly, are you?"

"Hey, that's only dirty if you have a dirty mind," he replied. "An' besides, I think you can handle it. You have Vicky as a sister, after all. You probably know all sorts of things that would turn Timmy's head…inside out, upside down, contort it strangely…"

"I wouldn't want to do that…" she said.

"Oh, sure you would," he said. "It'd be fun. Stick with me, Toot, and we'll have loads of fun. Inside down, upside out, Timmy as a ballerina…"

The image came to her mind and she giggled again. Timmy as a ballerina in her mind looked very strange and incredibly displeased. He actually tapped his foot at her in his mind and Deb the scarf bounced up and down.

"Just say the word," he said.

"Okay, but only this once," she said. "And only for a few seconds."

"C'mon, I know you want to," he said, grinning from ear to ear. "Do it, do it, do it!"

"I wish Timmy were a ballerina!" she said and he raised his wand. All of a sudden, Timmy, who was the opposite end of field, went to block a goal and…had little pink slippers instead of cleats. He fell over and, prompted by Deb's hysterical laughter, Tootie laughed too. The fall was made worse by the fact the field was muddy and he was covered in pink, frilly things.

"Guys, what the hell!" he said and Deb fell off her lap laughing.

"Okay, change him back!" she said. He held up his wand and reverted Timmy to his normal soccer uniform. She stopped laughing. "You think he'll be okay?"

"His pride and manhood, probably not. His body, yeah, he'll be fine physically," he said. "I hope Trixie wasn't here. And by 'I hope she wasn't', I mean I hope she was."

"You're not going to be mean, are you?" she asked.

"You want me to give him an ice cream?" he asked. "You're gonna confuse the hell out of this poor kid."

"No more than usual," she said.

"Okay," he said and rolled his eyes. "This should be interesting."

He held up his wand and the ice cream sundae appeared…on his head. Tootie gave him a dirty look and he feigned innocence.

"You never said where," he said.

She rolled her eyes too. Ah, well, this could get interesting.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: So not really that popular, but whatever, I'm glad some people do like it and enjoy reading it. It'll get more interesting, I promise.

Chapter Two: Ain't Got Rhythm

"You're kiddin' me, right?" Deborvak said. "That's the girl he likes?"

Deborvak's favorite form, when he had to choose an inanimate form, was a pin on her shoulder strap. This allowed him to see nearly at eye level with normal humans, and kept him alert of the others. At the moment, they could see Timmy drooling over Trixie at his locker and talking to his faeries. Poof, disguised as Timmy's pencil sharpener, looked straight at Deborvak and Deborvak smiled, forgetting for the moment Tootie's concern about Trixie Tang. No matter how hard his heart might grow, he'd always have a soft spot for children.

"What's she got that I don't have?" Tootie huffed.

"Do you really want me to answer that?" he said.

"No..." Tootie deflated. "I just wish Timmy would give _me_ the right time of day once in a while."

Deborvak held up his wand and Timmy broke off his conversation to call to Tootie, two classroom lengths away, "It's 12:45! Hey, wait, why did I say that?"

Tootie glared at the button. "Too literal."

Deborvak grinned mischievously. "Would you believe I knew what you meant and chose to do that anyway?"

She groaned. "Cosmo and Wanda would know if I put a spell on Timmy, wouldn't they?"

"Seeing as it's their godchild, an' they'd notice if he started acting like a lovesick zombie, yeah, I'd say so," he said and twirled his wand. "Wouldn't stop me, though. To hell with the rules! ANARCHY!"

Timmy whipped his head around. "Is Tootie's pin saying something about anarchy?"

"You could be a little less conspicuous," Tootie whispered. Deb rolled his eyes.

"And take all the fun out of life?" Deb snorted. "Surely you jest."

"What happened to all your other godchildren?" she whispered.

"Oh, you're my first. Bit of a trial run, if you ask me. Jorgen didn't say I got to return you if things got bad, so here's to hoping you won't be past the expiration date with my receipt. Cheers."

"I'm your first?" Tootie gasped.

"You know, you're not the first girl to say that to me...but you are the youngest."

Tootie's mouth dropped. She smacked him with her palm and Deb smirked, generating a small shield but rendering it light, so Tootie thought she'd struck him. He kept his eyes peeled to Timmy, Cosmo, Wanda, and Poof, despite his mood. He didn't like other faeries, he didn't like being around other faeries, and the last time he had been, it rubbed him the wrong way.

"Don't you have books to get for class?" he said.

"I want to talk to Timmy," she said.

"He reserves the right not to talk to you," he said and his stomach somersaulted. "I'll see you in class, Toot."

"Don't you want to see how this turns out?" she said.

"No, not really," he confessed. "You'll give me a play by play in class?"

"What is up with you being afraid of other faeries? Cosmo and Wanda won't hurt you, and Poof's only a baby," Tootie said. "Don't be a wuss, Deb."

"Did it ever occur to you there's a perfectly good reason I don't like other fey? And that it has nothing to do with Cosmo, Wanda, and Poof personally?" Deb said. His dark purple, almost black button leeched color, turning gray. "Tootie, play fair."

"He's getting away," Tootie protested and dashed to Timmy. Deborvak sighed and held up his wand to add Tootie's books, which she'd forgotten, into her bag. This close to Cosmo and Wanda, the adult faeries smiled at him and Deb forced a smile back. He glanced at Poof, who giggled at him. Deb remained vigilant, digging his sharpened pin edge into Tootie's shoulder bag. He hated other faeries, hated them.

"Timmy," Tootie chorused, rocking back and forth on her heels. "How are _you_?"

"Hey, Deb!" Cosmo said. Deborvak, unable to incline his head in greeting in pin form, projected his face a bit off the pin to nod.

"Long time no see, Deborvak," Wanda said. Deb flinched and nodded again.

"You're not very big on talking, are you?" Cosmo asked. Deb sighed and looked at his godchild. Up close, he could feel the faint faerie magic within her, magic that should be worked upon and allowed to grow. Except, of course, she was too distracted by Timmy.

"Are you going to the dance tomorrow night?" Tootie asked.

"Not with you," Timmy scoffed, slamming the locker door. "I've already asked Trixie."

"And she already turned you down," Cosmo said. "That's...five hundred nos, and one yes."

"What was the yes to?" Wanda asked.

"Yes, I don't want to go with you!" Cosmo announced.

"We don't have to go as a couple," Tootie said. "It'd be fun."

"No," Timmy said. "And stop following me!"

"I wish you'd go with me!" Tootie said.

"You make him go with you," Deborvak said in an undertone, "an' he'll be miserable the entire night."

"Fine, then I wish he'd go with me, and so would you, Cosmo, Wanda, and Poof!"

"...You're kidding me. You are f-in kidding me. Tootie-"

"No choice," she said with a smug smile. "You're my godparent."  
**

* * *

**

"I can't believe I have to go to this dumb dance," Timmy muttered. "Are you guys sure you can't find a loophole out of this?"

"Nope," Cosmo said. "Tootie thinks she's in love with you, she thinks it's true love, and plus...I've never seen the kind of spells this guy can do."

"It's like he's working with a completely different brand of magic," Wanda said. "Maybe we'll be able to ask him at the dance."

"If he'll talk," Timmy scoffed. "Didn't you guys say he's really quiet?"

"I don't know if it's quiet..." Wanda mused. "I asked Jorgen about him and didn't get much of an answer."

"Well?" Timmy asked. "What _did_ you get?"

"He avoided Jorgen..." Cosmo said. "And…what else?"

"That was about it," Wanda said. "In terms of actual power, he appears to have very little, but...he may be concealing it."

"Why would he do that?" Timmy said, dressing in a rush and not caring how he looked because he was upset Tootie had wrangled him into this.

"To appear less of a threat, I'd imagine..." Wanda said.

"Or maybe he's just afraid of us," Cosmo said. "Anyway, don't you think you should let us do your outfit? You look like a hobo found a suit at the dump."

"Fine," Timmy scoffed. "I wish I looked nice for the dance."  
**

* * *

**

"I don't believe you," Tootie scoffed. "You're just coming up with excuses not to go to the dance with me."

"Tootie," Deborvak sighed. "I don't want to go. I don't like other faeries, an' I sure as hell am not spending my entire evening with them."

"Wanda's a good faerie," Tootie said defensively. "And even if Cosmo can be a jerk sometimes, he is too. Poof's just a baby. What is your problem?"

"I told you, I don't like them," Deborvak retorted. "Would you like to spend an entire evening with Vicky, even if she was forced to tone it down?"

"No..." Tootie said.

"Then there you have it."

"There you have what?" she asked.

"You don't want to be with Vicky, and I don't want to be with Timmy's faeries. Have a good time at the dance."

"I wished you had to be there, so you have to be there," Tootie said. "You can't weasel out."

"Watch me," he said and shifted into a weasel. "Tootie, I don't want to go an' you won't like me when I'm upset."

She scooped him up by the nape of his neck and scoffed. "Why, what'll happen? You'll go Hulk on me."

Deborvak looked pained. "I set things on fire when I'm unhappy."

Tootie stared at him. "You're kidding me."

"No, I'm not," he said. "You don't want your date on fire, right? I won't go. Have a good time, tell me how it all went down-"

"Oh, no," she said. "The only way you can get over your fear is to face it."

"It's not a fear," he muttered, shoved into her purse. "It's an overwhelming unease with faeries and spending time with them _will not help_ in the slightest."

"You're coming, no choice," she said.

"Too bad I can't set _you_ on fire," he muttered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, nothing..."  
**

* * *

**

Tootie had dolled herself up and looked, in her opinion, like a knock out. Still, Timmy only had eyes for Trixie, and it was Deborvak's magic that kept him at Tootie's side. He'd try to run to Trixie, and then he'd snap, like a boomerang, back to Tootie. Tootie found it amusing. Timmy grew irritated and tried to undo Deb's wish, but it didn't work. Cosmo and Wanda couldn't figure out why.

"Well, talk to him," Timmy hissed. "Get him to get Tootie to unwish this so I can enjoy myself!"

Deborvak, in concession with Tootie's wish, had hidden himself around the room. Cosmo and Wanda frowned, unable to locate him. Normally, they'd be able to tell where another faerie magic source came from. But Deborvak had cloaked himself so well his energy readings might have been a blip on their radar passing in and out. Hell, he put out less energy than Poof, which shouldn't be possible.

"We can't find him..." Wanda said, frowning. She was the punch bowl and Cosmo was the ladle. Poof was Cosmo's handle.

"I wish Deborvak was right next to you so you could talk to him!" Timmy snapped. Deborvak appeared, dazed, as a cup beside Wanda. He narrowed his eyes at Timmy.

"I really hate that," he said.

"When I come back, I expect the wish gone," Timmy said and walked away to rejoin Tootie. Deborvak watched him and then shivered, looking away at Wanda's direct gaze.

"So...how'd you magick it so we can't change it?" Cosmo asked.

"We've been trying for an hour and nothing works," Wanda added.

In a quiet voice, not looking at either faerie, he said, "It's partially fueled by Tootie's magic. You'll have to convince her to break the rest of the enchantment."

"Okay..." Wanda said. "You want to go talk to her, Cosmo?"

"Shouldn't you do it?" Cosmo said. "You're a girl, after all."

"Deborvak," Wanda said. "Tootie's wish is making Timmy miserable. He can't leave her side and he can't enjoy himself."

Deborvak looked away.

"Hey, don't you answer when someone talks to you?" Cosmo said.

"I heard you," he said softly. "I just don't see how this is my concern. I warned Tootie not to wish it, she did anyway, an' she dragged all of us here to witness it."

"Can't you get her to change her mind? You have to have some sway over her as her fairy godfather," Wanda said.

"I suppose..." Deborvak said and vanished.

"That was weird," Cosmo said.

"Do you get the impression he doesn't like us very much?" Wanda asked.

"Poof poof?" Poof whimpered, looking at the nearly black faerie now perched on Tootie's wrist as a corsage.

"I don't get it either, Poof," Wanda said.  
**

* * *

**

Timmy didn't know what Deb had said to Tootie, but the spell thankfully vanished before too long. Without it, he was free to enjoy his night, and thoughts about faeries flew completely out of his head. Wanda, however, couldn't stop thinking about how strangely Deborvak had acted. Even when forced to be physically close to them, he'd held himself apart. All faeries liked to cluster together and be chummy. Plus, there was a matter of his peculiar elfin ears, which she'd never seen on a faerie before. He'd called himself a half breed...

"Wanna dance, Wanda?" Cosmo asked. She blinked. He'd shifted into a human child and held out his arms to her. Like Timmy, he wore a white tuxedo, except he'd used a green undershirt instead of pink like Timmy's.

"I'd love to," she said and changed into a human child too. She held out her arms and Poof changed into a mini corsage on her wrist. She wore a pink dress with ruffles and Cosmo twirled her in his arms. Then he drew her close and kissed her, running his fingers through her hair.

"I love you," he murmured.

"And I love you too, Cosmo," she said.

"Poof, poof!" Poof asserted.

"We love you too, honey," she said. Cosmo cradled Wanda like a precious jewel and she glanced across the floor on a whim. "I just wish I knew what was up with him."

"Who cares?" Cosmo snorted. "Let's party!"

He twirled Wanda again, she laughed, and he kissed her on the lips. ((I love you so much, baby.))


	3. Stalkers

Author's Note: This one's short. :P

Chapter Three: Stalkers

He didn't believe it. Actually, he did- he'd just rather not. Everywhere a faerie Deb went, a faerie Wanda was sure to go. Whenever Deborvak stopped with Tootie at school, he sensed Wanda there, watching, trying to lure him away from his godchild. It only made him obstinate and stick closer to her, to the point where he knew he was getting clingy and should really stop, for both their sakes. Though while he could consciously admit it, the temptation to linger was too strong, and the compulsion to stay the hell away from Wanda overwhelming. Damn her, and she was persistent too.

Finally, during a school assembly, Tootie managed to plow her way through the competition and sit beside Timmy. This meant, of course, Deborvak was right next to Cosmo, Wanda and Poof. He winced and disappeared, transporting himself into the school yard among the animals. He relaxed, let down his guard, and changed into a sparrow. Grinning, he set off after a female, just to flirt and see how far he could get. He nuzzled her head and pranced around, singing songs of praise.

"You've been avoiding us," Wanda announced and Deb fell off the branch in shock. The female bird squeaked and flew up higher. He quickly steadied himself and returned to the branch. Cosmo, Wanda, and Poof were in a line, all birds, with Poof a baby robin. Deb smiled weakly at him and then stopped smiling at Wanda's direct look. He lowered his head.

"Yeah, and considering how much time Tootie spends around Timmy, I'm impressed," Cosmo said. Deb didn't look up. Poof landed beside him and he jumped, landing in between Cosmo and Wanda. His heart raced and he backed up, heading for the tree hollow. He kept his talons on the tree branch.

"What-what do you want from me?" Deb asked.

"Mostly to ask you why you're so scared of us in the first place," Wanda said.

"Yeah...I've never seen a faerie frightened of its own kind before," Cosmo said. "And look, you even jumped away from Poof and he's a baby."

"Do you have to keep haranguing me? Don't you have other concerns?" he shuddered. "I'm not a freak show for your amusement."

"We didn't say you were," Wanda said and her voice was gentle, enough to prompt him to sneak a glance and then lower his head again. She hopped near him, close enough to touch but holding herself back. "We just want to know what you're so scared of."

"Yeah, we don't bite," Cosmo said. "Not unless you want us to. You don't, do you?"

"No...I don't," he said.

"Then what's the matter?" she said.

"We thought we knew all the faeries in Fairy World," Cosmo said. "But you're a complete blank."

"I'm not from Fairy World," he said, not looking at them. "I'm from another world entirely."

"But you're a faerie," Wanda said. "Either you come from Anti Fairy World, or Fairy World."

"And you don't look evil to me."

Deb chuckled humorlessly. "I know-knew- a few people who would disagree with you on that one."

"Why, what happened to them?" she asked.

"Grandfather Stef happened to them," he said. "And then Jorgen grabbed me because I fled and thought I'd be best for Tootie. End of story. Are you done with the q and a?"

"That doesn't explain why you're so afraid of us," Wanda said.

"Poof poof?" their son asked and nudged Deb. Deb almost fell out of the tree again. He hissed, gritting his teeth.

"You don't seem to mind when Tootie touches you," Wanda said. "And you were flirting with that bird just now."

"Humans an' animals are different," he said. "I don't...like...being...around...faeries."

"Why? What'd we ever do to you?" Cosmo said.

Deborvak looked up and glared at him. "Your kind beat me for being a misfit, told me repeatedly I was a mistake, and made me wish I was dead for almost all of my life. So you'll excuse me if I don't lay out the welcome wagon for you three."

Poof's eyes watered and Deb sighed.

"I didn't mean to upset the kid," he said. He conjured a stuffed horse for Poof and flew up to a higher branch. Poof stared up at him; his eyes were huge. Wanda flew up to join Deb and he sighed, knowing he'd never be quit of them.

"That's horrible," Wanda said. "I've never known faeries to do such terrible things! Why didn't you report them to Jorgen?"

"I told you, I came from another world," Deborvak said.

"And Big Daddy kills other faeries all the time," Cosmo pointed out. Deb's beak twitched.

"How..." Wanda was at a loss for words. Deborvak stared back at her and Poof hopped up beside him; he rubbed against Deb's wing and he shuffled, startled. Poof smiled at him and a very weak smile tugged at Deb's lips.

"Children tend to like me, though," he said.

"How'd you become a godparent if you're scared of your own reflection?" Cosmo asked. Deborvak glared.

"I'm not 'scared of my own reflection', I'm frightened of other faeries, an' there's a difference," he said. "Jorgen said I was fine as long as I wasn't forced to stay with them."

"But we would never hurt you," Wanda said and touched his cheek. He jerked, but allowed the brush.

"Don't you think we oughta be getting back to Timmy and Tootie?" he said weakly.

"We will, in a moment," Wanda said. "Let's set some things straight. We're good faeries."

"Yeah, we don't do whatever it is the other faeries did to you when they did it," Cosmo said.

Deb chuckled. "That sentence's grammar just screamed out for mercy and then died horribly."

"And we want to be friends," Wanda said.

"You'll be seeing a whole lot of us," Cosmo said.

"Seeing as your godchild is in love with ours," she finished. "Plus, her father is in love with me."

"That's how Tootie came about, because he's _crazy_," Cosmo said, indicating by rolling his eyes. Poof giggled.

"We're not asking you to put your life in our hands-"

"-at least, not yet-" Cosmo said, smirking.

"But if you can try to trust us, just a little, we'll go from there," Wanda said. "Deal?"

She, Cosmo, and Poof laid out their wings and Deb tentatively rested his right on top of theirs, like a group low five. Wanda smiled at him and he smiled back.

"Now we can go back to our godchildren," she said.


	4. Jungle Out There

Jungle Out There

Deborvak had a book open on his lap but wasn't reading. Instead, he stared intently at Tootie, who was struggling through her homework. His keen purple eyes distracted her and he hadn't said anything, only looked at her. She couldn't fathom his moods sometimes. He sat on her bed with his legs folded and his back against the pillows. The book appeared to be very old, but she didn't know because he wouldn't show it to her. He said it was higher magic than she was ready to deal with. That didn't explain why he was staring at her and not letting her do her homework.

"Uh, Deborvak?" she said. "I have this thing called homework I need to get done."

"I know," he said and smirked. "You're doin' very well at not gettin' it done, too."

"You're staring at me. You're ruining my concentration," she complained.

"Am I? I had no idea," he said. "I was wonderin' why you haven't spoken to Timmy yet today when you're madly in love with him."

"I'm playing hard to get," she said. "I have homework to do. Could you please leave me alone until I finish it?"

"Yeah, I could," he said and his lips twitched. He went back to his book and, for a few minutes, there was peace. She finished a couple math problems and felt eyes upon her. She turned her head and Deborvak was staring at her again. He smirked at her.

"You said you'd leave me alone!"

"No. I said I _could _leave you alone. I never said I would."

"What if I wished you'd leave me alone?" she said.

"You'd have to be a lot less vague," he said and sighed dramatically. "You could wish me away forever and then you'd be denied my pleasurable company for the rest of time. An' we all know what a tragedy that'd be."

"All right, how about this? I wish you'd leave me alone until I finish all my homework."

"Until when?" he said, lips curling. "What if you decide you want to be a teacher later in life? Then I'd never come back, because you'd never be finished."

"I wish you'd leave me alone until I finish today's homework and don't you dare try to out talk your way out of this wish," she said.

He blew her a raspberry. "Cleverness is extra credit, Toot-Toot."

Then he vanished and she sighed. Bolting upright, she realized she hadn't specifically given him a location. Deborvak was tricky like that. With him, you had to be down to the detail, or he'd interpret it his own way and cause unforeseen complications. Ah well. Hopefully, he'd just gone outside to play with the birds.  
**

* * *

**

Deborvak appeared beside Timmy's elbow. The twelve-year-old boy was attempting to do his homework, since he wanted to pass to the next grade. Cosmo, disgusted Timmy actually wanted to do homework, had taken Poof outside to pal around with. Wanda hovered over Timmy's shoulder and offered him help. Deborvak scooted out of her line of sight and clamped his magic down so no one would notice he was there until he announced himself.

Timmy was on the same math problems as Tootie. He began to write an answer and the temptation was too great.

"The answer to all the questions in the galaxy is 42," he said. Timmy wrote '42', and then paused, having filled in three questions already with that answer.

"Timmy, it's impossible for that equation to equal 42," Wanda said. She frowned and drifted over to Timmy's left side, where Deborvak had concealed himself as an eraser. Deb jumped to his right.

"It matches the next grade on Timmy's math test," Deb said. "42. How many IQ points he has. How many more seconds he'll spend on this. 42."

"Show yourself," Wanda snapped.

"42," he said. "That's a song by Coldplay."

"Deborvak," she snapped. "Show yourself _now_."

"42. Oh, you are no fun at all, Wanda," he said. He appeared in his normal form and shuddered, residual fear prompting him to put Timmy in between himself and the female faerie. She drifted closer and he jumped back.

"This might be why you're flunkin', Tim-Tim," Deborvak said. "You take advice from random faeries who are passing by."

"Go to Tootie," Wanda said.

"Can't," he said, shrugging. "She kicked me out. Something about...now, hang on, let's see..." He grinned impishly. He hadn't forgotten, not at all. "Not lettin' her do her homework. That was it."

"You're not letting Timmy do it either!" Wanda snapped. "Either stay here and make yourself useful or get out!"

"Are you kickin' me out?" he said and pouted. "Wanda, I thought we were friends."

"Why are you here, really?" Timmy said. Deborvak shrugged.

"I thought it'd be fun. I do things 'cuz I think they're fun," he said. Wanda eyed him and he shuddered. His hand flew to his wand without thinking and he had to force himself to calm down. They were good faeries. Not evil masquerading as good. Actually decent.

"Stay and help Timmy with his homework, or get out," Wanda repeated.

"Why would I want to do that? Doesn't sound like it'd be fun," he said and smirked. He was getting bored here. Plus, his happy mood was starting to dissipate. If he stayed much longer, tension would wear on him and he'd cease being amused. He still wasn't comfortable hanging around other faeries for prolonged periods of time.

"It's not supposed to be fun," Wanda said between clenched teeth. "It's homework."

"All right, all right," he said. "Don't get your panties in a bunch. I'll go bug Crocker."

He kissed Wanda on the cheek. "Be good, baby."

Then he disappeared. Wanda growled and touched her cheek.  
**

* * *

**

Crocker was hard at work creating pop quizzes to torment children tomorrow. Deborvak watched him for a few moments. Here was a true tortured soul. Deborvak could sympathize with him. For a few moments, he deliberated not humiliating him and leaving him alone. Perhaps he'd help Timmy with homework and try to deal with Wanda. Perhaps...

Or maybe he'd just bug Crocker anyway.

"The answer to number thirteen is yes, faeries are real, and, no, we do not hold revels for humans to attend," he said, floating over Crocker's right shoulder. Crocker yelped, spinning around, and Deborvak smiled at him. He landed on the floor and watched the human intently. There was a butterfly net on the right wall further back, but Crocker wouldn't be able to grab it and secure him quickly enough.

"A faerie!" he exclaimed. "Why didn't my faerie detector go off?"

"I'm not entirely fey," he said and shrugged. "Common mistake, though. So, sup? Still a delusional loser who can't get laid?"

"What...a faerie who insults me?" Crocker said.

"It's not an insult if it's true, is it?" Deborvak said. "Yes, I'm a faerie, no I won't grant your wishes, and you actually triangulated the third problem wrong. The answer should be 3x+4y=-266, not -270."

"I'm gonna capture you, little faerie, and prove to the world I'm not insane!" he said and ran for his butterfly net. Deborvak stuck his leg out and Crocker tripped. Deborvak watched him dispassionately.

"You could do that, but a guy who lives at home with his mom with crayon drawings on his wall...not sure they're going to buy the whole 'not crazy' line."

"Why do you keep insulting me?" Crocker snapped and ducked, rolled, and grabbed his butterfly net.

"I'm bored," he said. "Tomorrow I'll dance in front of you naked and tell you my faerie bits are magical...especially the parts that grow bigger when you yank them."

It took Crocker a few seconds to realize what Deb was talking about and, by that time, Deborvak had already moved on.

* * *

He reappeared in Timmy's room. Wanda was talking to her godson in a low voice and she jerked her head at his arrival.

"Well?" she said. "Are you ready to behave?"

"Never," he said and grinned. "I'll never be ready. You're really no fun, Wanda. You need to lighten up."

"I'm the responsible one," she said. "And if I don't hold everything together, nothing will get done."

"Yeah, but that's a lot of pressure," he said. "Besides, shouldn't Timmy really be gettin' help from his parents, not from you?"

"My parents aren't home," Timmy said. "Again. Vicky's downstairs sleeping and told me not to bother her. Or else."

"Oh really?" he said and his grin turned devilish. "You don't say."

"Deborvak, don't you dare," Wanda said.

"You have no idea what I'd dare," he said. His eyes turned cold and for a few seconds, something dark swam in them. He knew because he could see the reflection in her eyes and she winced. Then he jumped back, vaguely uneasy he'd startled her. He hadn't meant...argh, forget it. He turned away from her.

"I'll leave you two alone, then," he said.

"You could go play with Cosmo and Poof," Wanda said.

Deborvak smiled, but the smile had no warmth behind it. "Did it ever occur to you just because I told you why I don't like other faeries didn't make it 'all better'? Or do things work different in your world?"

He scoffed and disappeared again. His good mood had vanished again.

* * *

Tootie had said 'all her homework', but never specified the subject. He felt guilty enough he'd unsettled Wanda. Cosmo was too much of an idiot to pick up those cues.

Hmm. Maybe he'd go bother Timmy later, when he was showering, and say it was because Tootie wished him there. He grinned. Yes, that brought his mood right back up. Timmy screaming as the water kept changing temperatures and he had to run out in disgrace...

Though Wanda might not like that. He hated how he cared at all what she thought. She was just a stupid lightsider, anyway. Brightest light he'd seen, though, but still, stupid.

He stretched. He still had Vicky left to bother. Was he in the mood for it? Hmm...yeah...nah. He wasn't really. Not anymore. He wasn't in the mood to play with Cosmo and Poof either. If it had been Poof alone, he'd have found it enjoyable because babies weren't threatening. They were cute and they didn't judge. Adults on the other hand...

He settled in a dog form and lay his head on his paws near Tootie's couch. He didn't understand the desire of someone to help purely for the sake of helping. He didn't understand how Cosmo and Wanda could be good, when all he'd known was evil masquerading. And they still scared him. He knew the types of faeries he knew probably wouldn't have had human children, but they might have. A shudder ran through his body.

He still hated other faeries. Cosmo and Wanda would have to prove themselves to him before he even considered spending more than five minutes annoying Timmy.


	5. People Ain't No Good

People Just Ain't No Good

Tootie had lost track of Deborvak throughout the day. He'd left her a couple magic books to study and report back to him. She had taken this to mean he was finally going to teach her how to channel her inheritance. Deborvak had mood swings and was very impulsive. Perhaps he'd decided now was the time to fulfill the second half of his assignment.

Cheerfully scanning the book during lunch, she ignored the commotion behind her. She read the same sentence three times before she capitulated to the cacophony and shut it. Spinning around, she clutched the book to her chest and surveyed the scene. Principal Waxelplax was ranting and raving about a cardboard heart, decorated with sparkles, pipe cleaners, those wretched candy hearts, and a gushy love letter. In front of her, completely befuddled, was Mr. Crocker.

"This is highly inappropriate!" Ms. Waxelplax said. "Twenty years ago, this might have been appreciated but now! And to so crudely describe what you'd like to do with me!"

"I didn't write it!"

"It's in your handwriting! Are you telling me someone knows you well enough to forge it?" she snapped. She flung the heart and the letter at Crocker. "I didn't even know you knew what half these things were, much less had the audacity to put them in a letter!"

"I didn't!" Crocker protested. "I was framed!"

"You're suspended!" Ms. Waxelplax snapped. "Pending a review by the board as to whether you're qualified to continue teaching."

"I didn't write it!" Crocker cried. "I swear to you, Geraldine! There's faerie dust on the heart _and _the letter!"

"And again with the faeries! I've had it with you, Crocker!" she snapped. "Get out, now, or you'll be fired now!"

"But-!"

"OUT!" she bellowed and Crocker, muttering darkly, vacated the cafeteria. Whispers immediately sprang up in his absence and Deborvak appeared in front of her disguised as a milk carton. His eyes twinkled and he inclined the milk lid at her.

"That went better than expected," he said.

"What did?" she said. "Don't tell me you had something to do with this."

"Ah, Tootie. Tootie. You are so young and innocent. So naive. So utterly unaware of how you can manipulate people with a few spoken words," he said and smirked. "But no, I didn't."

"Swear on it," she said.

"I swear," he said and his eyes sparkled with mirth.

"Swear on your daughter's life," she said. The smirk vanished.

"Aw, Toot, don't do that," he protested. "Oh hey, look, it's Cosmo and Wanda."

"Don't try to distract me with them," she said and blinked. Cosmo and Wanda appeared beside him and both were glaring at her godfather. Deborvak feigned ignorance and Tootie noticed he hadn't sworn on his daughter's life. She put that temporarily on the back burner.

"Can we have a word?" Wanda snapped. "In private?"

Deborvak smiled. "Of course, Wanda. I'm always up for alone time with you."

"Hey! I'll be there too!" Cosmo said.

"How could I be so inconsiderate? You can watch," Deborvak said coolly. Cosmo glared and Deborvak smirked. "We'll be right back, Toot-Toot. Try not to burn down the school without us."

They disappeared in a flash and she looked back at her book. Its appeal had faded, but she sloughed through it anyway. Timmy was with his friends and showed no dispensation to joining her. The other children who had godparents didn't make their presence known to her and she doubted they attended Dimmsdale's public schools. So far, all she knew about were Cosmo and Wanda here. Poof was with Timmy at the moment; she could see the purple wristband.

If Deborvak had really caused the scene, then he was toeing the line...

* * *

"Are you _trying _to get us exposed?" Wanda hissed. They appeared in Timmy's room since it was the first place Cosmo and Wanda thought for privacy. They were tense and Deborvak was unreadable, as usual. However when they advanced, he flinched and squeezed his wand. Whatever the reason, he still feared them.

"No," he said. "I'm not. There was no way we could actually get hurt in that."

"Crocker is a faerie hunter!" Wanda snapped.

"He's not a very good one," Deborvak said coolly. "Who are you to lecture me? You're on the same level as me, Wan."

"I don't want to lose Timmy!" Wanda snapped. "And I know you don't want to lose Tootie."

"Yeah," Cosmo said. "Crocker may be insane, but he's not always an idiot."

Wanda was simultaneously full of fear and irritation at this daring faerie. She didn't comprehend why he wasn't more apprehensive of being caught and losing his memories. For them, losing their godchildren by forceful removal was the worst scenario imaginable. Yet here was Deborvak, blasé about it.

"I'm well aware of Crocker's capabilities," he said. His eyes turned cold and Cosmo flinched. There was darkness surrounding him, despite the light crystal around his neck, and it put Wanda on edge.

"I'll leave Crocker alone, I promise," he said. He disappeared and Wanda sighed.

"Wanda..." Cosmo complained. "I don't trust him."

"I don't think we know him entirely," Wanda said. She scoffed and balled her fists. "Why is he still afraid of _us _but not of humans and getting caught?"

* * *

"Uppity lightsider," Deborvak muttered upon reappearing on Tootie's lunch table.

"What was that?" she said. "Where did you guys go?"

"Never mind that," he said and a mischievous smile lit his face. "Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and will taste good with ketchup."

* * *

Vicky decided to bring Tootie with her when she babysat Timmy to torture both of them at the same time. Deborvak had vanished again in that time and then reappeared with a poker face. She tried asking him what he'd done, and he wouldn't answer. At last, he offered her a secretive smile and told her she'd find out soon enough.

Vicky set Timmy and Tootie to clean his bathroom, which hadn't been cleaned in god knew how long. On their hands and knees, they scrubbed the tiles. Ammonia pervaded the room, their nostrils, and felt like it had sunk beneath her skin. They worked in silence, though she wanted to squeal and grab him. Deborvak had told her she had to curb her reactions, or she'd scare him away.

Timmy reached around the toilet bowl and pulled out a strange object. It was shaped like a certain part of the human anatomy with straps on the ends and Timmy went bright red.

"What the heck is this doing here?" he squeaked.

He swung it back and forth and Tootie giggled insanely. She blushed too and poked the end, then fell over, unable to stop laughing. Timmy, the color of a ripe tomato, flung it into the bathtub. It didn't thunk, like they'd expected, and Tootie grabbed the toilet bowl to push herself up. Propping herself up, she stared. There was a skimpy lingerie outfit in there, consisting of pasties and a barely there thong.

Next to the strange outfit was a note and she fell over, trying to fetch it and balance herself. Snickering despite knocking into the tub's lip with her stomach, she turned the note over. Timmy, not laughing but completely scarlet, leaned over to read with Tootie. He didn't appear to know what the pasties and thong were for, luckily for him.

"For Wanda. Cheers!" There was no signature and the note was typewritten.

She had to wait for the laughing fit to cease before she could safely exit the tub. Cosmo and Wanda were gone for the moment, though Poof was asleep in the fish bowl. Her eyes flicked to the fish bowl through the open door and then at Timmy, who backed away from her.

"I didn't do it!" she said, reminding herself of Crocker from earlier.

"I don't think..." Timmy swallowed hard, scarlet. "I don't think it was you."

Pink and green faerie dust rained on the fish bowl and Timmy and Tootie turned to it. Timmy cleared his throat to speak several times and couldn't bring himself to say it. A few seconds later, it was rendered unnecessary. Wanda and Cosmo shot out of the fish tank and Cosmo couldn't stop giggling. Wanda, by contrast, looked murderous. Timmy's embarrassment faded, replaced by bewilderment. Tootie gawked at the godparents and their disparate reactions.

"We could use them, Wanda!" Cosmo said and bowled over in mid air, laughing hysterically.

"DEBORVAK!" Wanda screeched. They waited a few seconds but nothing happened.

"Call your godfather," she snarled at Tootie.

"Maybe..." Cosmo choked, gulped, and tried again. "Maybe that's not his real name."

"What do you mean?" Wanda snapped, Tootie and Timmy asked, and Cosmo swallowed again.

"Or not all of it," he said. "You know, like how saying Big Daddy doesn't bring your father here."

"You can still call him," Wanda snapped at Tootie. Her hair had turned to flames. "I know he did it. He didn't sign his work, but I _know _it was him."

"We should..." Cosmo swallowed and then, unable to stop it, laughed hysterically. "Thank...him..."

"Call him," Wanda said. Tootie swallowed too.

"What did Deb do?" she said. As terrifying as Wanda was at the moment, she wasn't sure she wanted to bring her godfather into it. Not to mention she had no idea what Wanda was so upset about, yet amused Cosmo.

"That's between us and him!" Wanda growled.

"Ooh, do you think he wants to join?" Cosmo said and that was the last coherent thing they heard from him for a while. Pounding his fists in mid air, Cosmo screamed in laughter and couldn't catch his breath. Shaking with mirth, he seemed utterly oblivious to his wife's fury.

"Call him," Wanda hissed.

"Deborvak?" Tootie said uncertainly. "Wanna explain what's going on?"

"You're gonna wear my name out that way," a voice echoed. Wanda snarled, blasting the room at random, and broke Timmy's TV, the windows, and collapsed the bed. Eyes appeared first, and then the rest of the body materialized out of thin air. Wanda aimed a spell in his direction and it bounced harmlessly off a shield, then funneled back into him.

"You did this!" she snapped. "I know you did."

"Did what?" he said. "I didn't do anything you can prove."

Breathing hard, she yanked him by the collar and they disappeared. Cosmo, guffawing, accompanied them. Timmy and Tootie stared at each other.

"I don't get it," Timmy said in the silence that followed.

"Wow..." Tootie said. "What the hell did Deb do?"

"Whatever it was, it got Cosmo's vote," Timmy said, shaking his head.

* * *

"You filled our room with sex toys," Wanda growled, transporting them to the castle's entertainment room. Deborvak studied her coolly and she didn't like how he could turn into a blank slate at will.

"You can't prove it, Wandita," he said.

Wanda tensed and balled her fists. "Don't call me that. Juandissimo calls me that."

"Not when I'm around, he doesn't!" Cosmo said.

"You can't prove I did anything," Deborvak said. "You may have your suspicions, but there is absolutely nothing implicating me."

"I know you did," she growled. "You know you did. You were behind this just like you were behind the scene earlier."

"You know, not sayin' I did anythin', _but_...I really hate bein' lectured," he said. "Especially by someone who thinks she's better than me."

Stunned for a moment, she recovered and snarled at him. "I never said I was better! I was trying to make sure you didn't ruin things for everyone!"

"Did it ever occur to you," he said calmly, "that I'm well aware of what might happen should I be foolish?" The calmness vanished and his tone changed, adding a bite. "Did it ever occur to you that maybe I'm not a _complete _imbecile and would never jeopardize a child's happiness for a foolish prank? Did it ever occur to you that _maybe _I know what I'm doing and this didn't concern you in the first place?"

"It concerned us because there was faerie dust on the letter!" Wanda snapped.

Deborvak smiled humorlessly. "Even if I had put my picture on there, Waxelplax would never have believed him. She thinks he's a loon. It only furthered her case."

"You take a terrible risk!" Wanda said. "I don't want to lose Timmy because of you!"

"How about this, Wanda?" Deborvak snapped. "If you lose Timmy thanks to one of my pranks, I promise you can personally beat me. That's what darksiders masquerading as lightsiders do, isn't it?"

Wanda's mouth opened but no sounds came out. Cosmo floated closer to Deborvak.

"We don't do that," Cosmo said. "We just don't wanna lose Timmy."

"I understand that," Deborvak said. "An' I understand where Wanda's comin' from, but she needs to lay off, 'cuz she has nothin' to do with this an' I resent bein' told what to do by someone who doesn't know any better than I do."

"I've been godparenting for a lot longer than you have!" Wanda snapped.

"You're a pure blooded faerie," Deborvak said quietly. "Fear of human adults runs in your blood. All the things Crocker could do to you if he caught you he can't do to me. It wouldn't work."

Wanda grimaced. "I don't like what you did and I still don't think you should have done it, but...what are you talking about? Why would I ..." she paused and shuddered, the idea truly repulsive. "Why would I beat you?"

Deborvak shrugged and his eyes went cold. He held up his wand and Wanda knew without looking the bedroom was clear again, as were any other areas he might have afflicted. "Good afternoon, Cosmo, Wanda. Poof, I know you're out there too. See you later."

"That guy..." Wanda's mouth dropped open.

"Is totally awesome!" Cosmo said. "We should have him over more often."

"'You can personally beat me'..." Wanda echoed. "Wow..."

Unable to stop it, she began to shudder.

* * *

He wasn't feeling mischievous anymore. Instead, he settled outside Timmy's room and watched Timmy, Tootie, and the other faeries. He didn't understand, still. In fact, he felt doomed to never comprehend. That was all right.

Wanda had gotten the picture after he'd done his last stunt. And maybe it'd deter them from trying to be friends with him. Shuddering, he hugged himself in squirrel form. Lightsiders were always liars, anyway.


	6. Faerie Princess Hour

Author's Note: This was basically Tootie and the OCs with a little FOP thrown in for good measure. But it was a fun jaunt and is quite long, the longest Deb one-shot to date. I had to wonder why Tootie the half faerie had a faerie godparent and wasn't learning magic on her own. Then this came about.

Faerie Princess Hour

"Today, I'm gonna teach you magic," Deborvak said. Tootie, wearing yellow rubber gloves up to her elbows, a drawn expression, and her backpack sloughed over one shoulder, trudged into her room. Her knee length black and white skirt was wrinkled and spotted from kneeling, and her sweater vest sported a new tear on the left . The collar was ruffled and Deborvak casually touched his wand to mend her outfit. She groaned and flopped onto the bed. The book bag flew up a couple inches and settled back down on her back, smacking her spine. She buried her face in the pillow and concentrated on melding into the bed.

"I know you heard me," he said and she turned. Rolling over onto her stomach, she dug the backpack's strips off her shoulder and flung it onto the floor. He raised his eyebrows but didn't comment. His gaze was keen and she winced, looking away. There was an intense focus present and he stared at her like a hawk.

While Tootie wore her usual attire, Deborvak did not. Deborvak's outfit changed every day, though where he kept his clothing was a mystery. Today, he wore an amethyst shirt with wide sleeves and embroidered golden thread forming circles meeting near his wrists, then another band near his neck. There was a strange insignia on his breast, what looked like two dragons glaring out and floating over an empire. The shirt fell below his waist and he donned obsidian calf length pants ending with rawhide black boots. The insignia disturbed her a little, though she couldn't say why. It didn't remind her of Fairy World that was for damn sure.

"I heard you," she replied, groaning. "I'm not in the mood, Deb. I'm tired and I have homework ."

"Homework can wait," he said. "I've been remiss in teaching you magic, which was the whole point in Jorgen assigning me to you."

"I thought the point was that Jorgen screwed up and had to give me someone, even though he'd delayed for years and pretended I didn't exist since I was half fey?" she said.

"No," he said. He stared and she winced, wishing she could yank her gaze away and unable to move.

"I can't put off my homework any longer," Tootie said and, with great effort, wrenched her gaze. "It's five o'clock. I spent two hours doing Vicky's chores."

"It can wait," he said. "There are ten hours of night."

"I'm not doing my homework at midnight," she said. "You're ridiculous."

Leaning over, she grabbed her backpack and it zoomed past her outstretched fingers. Looking up, she shuddered. A black aura clung to him for a second and then it was gone.

"Wanda said your magic isn't like theirs, that their magic bounces right off," Tootie said.

"I am not like them, this is true," he said. "You will learn magic now, Tootie, or I'll set your book bag on fire and you'll figure out how to put it out _with _magic…and no instruction."

"Why the sudden demand?" she said, shrugging. "Is Jorgen coming to test me on how much I've learned?"

"No," he said. "I thought it was about time I stopped goofing around and came here to do what I intended to do."

"I thought you liked goofing around," she said. "And creating mischief."

"Oh, I do," he said and the twinkle was back in his eyes before the stoic demeanor replaced it. "But not now."

From thin air, he produced a small wand. It looked like a toy wand, complete with squeaking rubber instead of wood, and the star on top smiled. Deborvak rolled his eyes.

"Jorgen insisted you have to use that," he said. "In case you get the urge to run Vicky into a tree repeatedly, you can't. The amount of magic the wand can channel is limited and thus, any damage you can do is easily compensated for. It's a shame, though. I'd really like your first exercise to be turning Vicky into the Indy 500…the road."

"I don't really have a choice about this, do I?" she said.

"No," he said and revolved the backpack around in the air. "It's a nice bag, by the way. Canvas? Canvas burns very well."

"All right, fine. The sooner we start, the sooner we're done, right?" she said.

"No," he said so sharply she cut off her breath. "Not right, Tootie. You treat this seriously and you learn what you're supposed to, or Jorgen will find a way to wipe your memory and drain you. It's happened before. Why do you think half breeds are so rare?"

"Jorgen has…" Words failed her and he inclined his head.

"Since setting your backpack on fire doesn't seem sufficient motivation for you, particularly after Vicky's acts, I have a better idea, one closer to home," he said. "Normally, Jorgen would prattle on about proper technique, and he'd probably like me to use a simple spell to teach you, like changing your clothing. But really, why should you care about changing your clothing if you have a much better motivator."

He smiled. "Remember what I said about how their magic doesn't affect mine? Keep that in mind- I'll leave the spell half done, so you can reverse it, but only you."

Tootie folded her arms across her chest and stared at him. "What? You'll only set half the bag on fire?"

"No, no," he said. "This concerns a matter much closer to your heart."

His smile turned malicious. "I'm putting a spell on Timmy."

Her mouth dropped. "Won't Cosmo and Wanda-"

"Doesn't matter. If I set a spell on Vicky, you might be inclined to let it stay," he said. "Cosmo and Wanda can be pissed all they want. This is a learning experience. They'll understand. I won't put Timmy in any life threatening danger…or will I?"

"You wouldn't!" she said. "I don't even know how to use magic!"

"Then I guess you'll find out," he said. "The best way to figure out how to do something is to learn it on your own, in a moment of crisis. That way, you'll never forget it."

"You're not going to give me hints?" she groaned.

"I didn't say that," he said. "But I won't be a crutch. Right now, you have the wrong mindset. You think you can't solve any of your problems with magic, or, if you can, using _my _magic is fine. You need to become self-reliant. You need to become more powerful, Tootie, because I won't always be around, and let me tell you bluntly- full blooded faeries do _not _like half blooded ones. If you can show them you pose a threat, they'll leave you alone.

"So lesson for the day- save Timmy using magic by forcing your brain to reroute its normal thinking pattern and believing you can do it. Right now you don't, and that's a big mistake."

He shook his head. "But enough prattle. I will appear if you call my full name, not any derivative, and only three times. Think of them as video game hints per level, if you want. I won't give you any magical items- it's up to you to modify regular items or channel raw power on your own into whatever you think suits the situation."

Tootie groaned. "You're kidding me, Deb. I've never used magic before and _this _is what you want me to do? What happened to Magic 101?"

"This _is _Magic 101," he said. "Use magic to protect what's yours, or suffer the consequences."

He brightened. "I wouldn't ask you to do if I knew you weren't eminently capable. You just need to stop thinking things are impossible. And don't worry. I'm sure Cosmo and Wanda would have my head if I let Timmy die."

Deborvak smiled and waved his wand. "For reality altering magic, wands really are best."

* * *

Timmy Turner wasn't doing his homework. Cosmo had encouraged him to play the not-study game and they were in the middle of a challenging boss battle. Wanda had stepped out for a moment with Poof and the lights flickered. He and Cosmo exchanged a glance, shrugged, and continued playing. Then the lights disappeared, as did the video game system, and Timmy's bedroom transformed.

It turned into a stone tower, high in the clouds, with a single inset window looking out onto the blue sky. His bed changed into a pink four-poster and his belongings went up in smoke, replaced by a dresser, a wall length mirror, and a make up table. Timmy's hands felt empty without the controller, and Cosmo cracked up. Confused, Timmy abandoned his spot on the floor and walked over to the new mirror.

"Wow, Timmy, nice dress!" Cosmo catcalled and Timmy turned bright crimson. Out of nowhere, he now wore a frilly crème dress with a flowing train, golden earrings, and a tiara. The tiara had purple jewels inset, and he wore a long chain necklace with a ruby pendant on his chest. His mouth dropped and Cosmo pounded the air in hysterics. Shuddering, he lifted the dress to discover he had on pink satin slippers. His hair had grown past his shoulders and had three braids ending in the middle of the back. He had to pat himself down to make sure he was still a 'he'.

"Cosmo, what did you do to me?" he shrieked.

"Oh, nothing, _Timantha_," he said and cracked up. "You should ask Trixie out like that. Maybe she likes boys with jewelry…and corsets!"

"I wish everything was back to normal!" Timmy cried. The corset was constricting the airflow to his chest.

Cosmo held up his wand and it fizzled out. "Nope. Must be someone else's magic."

"Fix it!" he said. "Before something-"

Perfume filled the air and Timmy choked. He sniffled himself- now he smelled like lilacs. Lipstick covered his lips a deep red, eyeliner matched his eyes, and mascara completed the look. Timmy squeaked. He'd never been so mortified in his life, excepting perhaps when he'd lost his pants in the pool and everyone had seen him naked.

"…worse happens…" Timmy completed.

Wanda and Poof returned, Wanda bringing a whole store of diapers with her. She stared around the room and Timmy grabbed her by the shirt.

"Fix it! Fix it now! Cosmo can't! It just happened and I swear I didn't want this! FIX IT!" he screamed and collapsed, the corset preventing him from breathing properly. Panting, he pleaded with her and Wanda frowned, staring at Cosmo.

"You couldn't reverse it?" she said.

"No, it's dragon magic," Cosmo said. "But doesn't Timmy look good as a princess?"

Wanda looked out the window and a purple dragon flew past, winking at them.

"Deborvak!" she shrieked and Deborvak appeared in the room. He grinned at Timmy.

"You make an excellent damsel in distress," he said. "Better than I expected. Then again, from the amount of cross dressing you do, you think you'd stop freaking out every time someone shoved a dress on you."

"_You _did this," Wanda snapped. "Undo it. Now."

"Can't," he said. "Or, to be more accurate, won't. Tootie needs to learn magic, and the only way to do that is to force her, since she doesn't seem inclined to do it herself. I'm sorry-"

He cast a look over at Timmy and snorted, "Okay, no, not sorry, but Timmy is the only person in the world she'd be willing to make a fool of herself over. Putting Timmy in danger-"

Wanda opened her mouth and Deb overrode her.

"Don't worry," he said. "He's not in any real danger. I know Da Rules. Worse comes to worst, you guys'll be stuck without electricity for a couple hours while Tootie figures out her way past the magical puzzles I set for her. If it makes you feel any better, I brought some things for you guys to do while you wait."

"I'm being rescued by _Tootie_?" Timmy snapped.

"Yes and no," Deborvak said and his eyes twinkled. "Tootie thinks she's rescuing you, but you were never at risk. Only in the last few minutes of the spell will you actually have to play the part; in the meanwhile, _you _can enjoy this box of chocolates I brought you, _you _can play with this giant ball of string I brought you, and _you_…you can do the homework you haven't been doing all week."

Deborvak's smile turned catty. "By the by, Timmy, Wanda's not as stupid as you think she is. No one gets that many Fs and zeroes in homework if they've been doing the work."

"Enjoy the spell!" he popped off and Wanda stared at the chocolate in her hands. Cosmo had already started playing with the giant ball of string and batting it around the room.

"Um…" Timmy said and Wanda glared at him.

"He's right," she said. "For once. Do your homework, Timmy."

"Like _this_?" he said.

She held up her wand and it fizzled out too. "Yes, like that."

* * *

Timmy Turner's house had changed into an old stone castle, complete with a moat. Alligators snapped at her and the drawbridge was closed, which meant she'd either have to walk across or, in figure out a way to get the drawbridge to lower. Since the castle was entirely surrounded by the moat, this left out a side entrance. Vines covered the castle's surface, but were inaccessible from the street. The castle was at least ten stories high and she figured Timmy was probably in the highest tower, facing the yard instead of the street.

The castle had quite a few windows, without glass, but nothing she could reach without a grapple hook. She could ask Deb for advice, but he'd told her she only had three hints, and she didn't want to use them right away.

She could call the drawbridge, which should be the easiest route. Then again, she didn't know if Deb would allow that. This was her first trial, so he probably hadn't upped the ante and made the drawbridge evaporate as soon as it hit the water. Except…she felt stupid. Why should she use magic when there was probably a non-magical way to do things?

Nonetheless, she removed her wand, which squeaked, and then squeaked herself. Her normal outfit had been replaced by a blue knight's attire, complete with a plumed hat. The wand winked and she sighed, pointing it at the drawbridge. Nothing happened.

"Gonna have to be more clever than that, Toot-Toot," Deborvak said, his bodiless voice echoing. "Sure, you can lower the drawbridge, but so can the Turners. Plus, that's a rather mundane way to do it. Think fantastical. Think of what you'd have liked as a little girl."

"I'm not going to conjure a unicorn," she said derisively."

"I never said you had to," he said. "Here's a hint for free. My family is standing around, waiting to see if you'll use them. One form, one potential aid. Unicorn, dragon, and faerie. One other faerie besides me, that is. But Novia…is a little different. Use them how you will, but remember they have minds of their own, and may or may not be inclined to help you."

"I wish-"

"No, no, no wishing," he said. "You call one of them. Without their name. Novia won't come, because that's not her true name. Figure out their names, how to call them, and then what to do once you have them."

Groaning, she looked around and the sense of presence vanished. A dragon could break down the drawbridge or fly up to the highest tower, but she knew if Deb didn't want her to simply let down the bridge, flying was out of the question. Novia was an unknown quality, especially since Deb had never mentioned her before, and that left one creature.

Tootie filled her mind with the traditional picture of a white unicorn and nothing happened. Irritated, she gritted her teeth and waved her wand to produce the unicorn. Still nothing. The wand didn't react at all.

"Oh, one more thing," he said. "You might want to keep in mind color coordination. My birth daughter shares my hair color, but my adopted daughter does not. Nor does my half sister."

"Oh!" she said.

"That's it for the free hints, Tootie my dear," he said. "You're on your own figuring out how _Aurelia _and Novia look."

Swallowing hard, she pictured, not a white unicorn, but a purple one, with a flowing mane and a shiny black tipped horn. Waving her wand, she heard a pop and opened her eyes. A unicorn smiled at her and lowered its head, then bounced back and forth on its heels. Compared to Deb's aura, which was usually dark bordering on grey for neutral, this unicorn had a cheerful, happy disposition and an orange, nearly yellow aura. She also had large, feathery black wings, which she unfolded and nudged Tootie with.

"Dad said this was close enough," she said. "I'm Vela."

"Short for what?" she said and Vela smirked.

"Oh, that's not going to happen," she said. "Now, you need a way into the castle, right? I can fly, but if you wanted flight, you would have gone with the dragon."

"What can unicorns do?" Tootie said, eying the drawbridge. "I guess you can batter it down."

Vela lowered her head and touched her horn to the water. The alligators screeched and swam away. Vela cackled, started to dive in after them, and changed her mind. Shaking her head, she dug at the ground with her hooves and eyed Tootie.

"Unicorn horns purify water," she said. "The good ones do, anyway. Now the water isn't poisonous-"

"It was _poisonous_?" Tootie shrieked.

Vela eyed her strangely. "You have my father as a godfather, right?"

"Yes…" Tootie said. "He was going to _poison _me?"

"I'm sure you wouldn't have died from it," Vela said. "You can cross the moat, if you wish, and dirty your, oh, wow, Dad went all out. Anyway, you can dirty your smock, if you want, or you can climb the vines into the castle. Your choice. Anyway, my work here is done."

Tootie opened her mouth and no sound came out. Vela vanished and Tootie eyed the water.

"You were really going to poison me?" she called out.

There was no response and she huffed, staring at the castle. The drawbridge fell and beyond it was a brick wall. Rolling her eyes, she resigned herself to walking through the moat, which had crystal clear water now. The idea Deb had intended to poison her gave her the chills, but she had no one's word besides Vela's on it. Vela seemed trustworthy, as trustworthy as anyone with Deb as a father could be, but since Deb had told her to be more self reliant…

The vines reached for her and gently pushed her onto the wall. To her surprise, the vines were soft and spongy, and cushioned her grip. Looking up, she groaned. This climb might take forever. Unless…this was another test. Climbing would certainly take forever, particularly if she didn't use magic.

"How do I summon the dragon?" Tootie called.

"No," Deborvak's disembodied voice called. "I don't want you to call her."

"Then what do you want?"

"You _can _call Aura, if you really want…but there will be a penalty."

"Like what?" she huffed.

"Call her and see, but you can't keep climbing that vine. I told you to stop thinking mundanely, and you're not listening."

"You're not really helping!" Tootie snapped.

"I'm not supposed to help," he said. "You're supposed to do it on your own."

"Give me a hint!" she said. There was a pause and she groaned. "Deborvakovik."

He appeared before her and conjured a fireball. Then he fluttered his wings, smacked the vines with his tail, and cut through a line of them. The line disappeared, reducing the castle's height by a fraction. The fireball also brought down the vines, along with allowing the highest tower to become slightly closer to her reach. A wind picked up and his wings shook in it.

"The Turners' house is only two stories," he said. "Magic has made it ten. Some of these stories may not be what they appear to be."

"In other words, they're illusions?" she said.

"Yes," he said. "Your hint's up, Toot-Toot. Enjoy."

"Wait, are they all illusions?" she called.

"That's for you to find out," he said. "One more clue and I'll count it against you."

Groaning, she resigned herself to staring at the vine wall. Summoning the dragon would count against her; she could either equip herself with wings, which she didn't know how to do, cut a swath through the vines, or set them on fire. From what she'd read, fires were the easiest spells to cast, and the hardest to control. A dragon could set things on fire, depending on the Elemental alignment. She had a feeling whichever choice she made impacted the next step.

A red dragon flew overhead and screeched, blasting fire at the topmost tower. Tootie screamed, grabbing the vines, which blackened and caused her to slide down a few steps. The fire hadn't been anywhere near her. She wasn't sure if the dragon was part of Deb's family or not, but since it was menacing Timmy and not looking at her, she didn't think it was. Timmy screamed and she had to decide now, not pontificate on it. There was one dragon, and Deb said faerie magic didn't work on dragons, only other dragon magic.

Deborvak had also emphasized his daughter's name and Tootie tried to remember her Latin. Aura was 'gold'. Aurelia…was a golden dragon?

Gritting her teeth, she waved her wand and the dragon appeared before her. The vines crumpled and Tootie fell backward, landing on a golden dragon's back. The dragon was easily the size of an entire warehouse and her tail swished back and forth in the air. The tower suddenly gained height, turning from ten stories to thirty, and Aurelia's bony spine poked Tootie's soft skin. Grimacing, she straightened up and inspected her.

Aurelia put forth light and goodness like a brilliant fire, but the effect was muted. Normally, it should have made Tootie jubilant and ready to walk on air, but instead, it was confined to only Aurelia.

"Was this my punishment?" Tootie said, looking up at the castle.

_No, just a side effect, _Aurelia sent.

Aurelia had two rows of bony ridges along her back and golden yellow scales larger than Tootie's hand. She hovered, flapped her wings, and ascended. The wings were so long, they obliterated the other houses from view. Then again, Tootie had a feeling only those within the spell could see it. Aurelia's eyes were yellow with a hint of black; she swiveled her head so her right eye was upon her.

_Father thought you might panic_.

"But you're going to help me, right?" Tootie asked and squared her jaw. "You won't let that mean red dragon attack Timmy."

_You mean Fyraka_?

"Another relative?" Tootie asked and groaned.

_Yes and no. I assume you want me to attack him_.

"You're a dragon and he's a dragon," Tootie said. "Maybe you two can talk it out."

Aurelia groaned and flicked her tail back and forth. _I am also a __**child**_**. **_Fyraka is an adult._

"You can keep him away, though, right?" Tootie said. "Poof's capable of big magic and he's a baby."

_Father said you were impetuous_. _I'm not allowed to give any hints, unless it's directly related to my draconic nature, not to any decisions you should make. _

"You don't think I should attack him," Tootie said. "But you're not allowed to tell me otherwise."

_Not without using one of your precious hints, no. And you're down to two now, isn't that right?_

"Yes…" Tootie said. "Can you tell me without telling me?"

_No_. _You're just lucky Father's being lenient. The person he learned magic from would have never given him this much leeway._

"Doesn't seem like leeway to me," Tootie muttered. Louder, she said, "I thought he learned his magic from Jorgen."

_Faerie magic doesn't affect dragon magic. Father is part dragon. How could Jorgen have taught him anything_?

"I'm stalling," Tootie said and Aurelia inclined her head in agreement. "Can you fly up and distract Fyraka without fighting him?"

Aurelia sighed. _You showed such promise, too. _

Without another word, she shot into the air and to Fyraka's height. The tower grew taller and Tootie had a split second view of an irritated Timmy before the red dragon was before them. Cosmo, Wanda, and Poof were whisked away and Tootie stared at Fyraka, who was smaller than Aurelia. He was large, compared to an animal, sure, but compared to Aurelia, he was about three quarters her size. He also appeared to be a different species, longer and more sinewy.

Fyraka blew a fire ring around her and it vanished, much like Cosmo and Wanda's spells did around Deb. Tootie blinked.

_You should have left the dragon alone, Tootie. He wasn't what he appeared to be_.

"The dragon's not a dragon at all?" Tootie said blankly.

Aurelia closed her eyes and let Fyraka smack her with his tail. The instant the blow connected, however, she flew to the side and it grazed her; she ducked low and, generating a tremendous gust, flung Tootie backward into the castle. The walls evaporated and then reappeared, sealing Tootie into a large stone chamber with a high vaulted ceiling and a chandelier with candles in it. She didn't have much time to contemplate the room; a pale fist came out of nowhere and seized her.

"The vines weren't your punishment," a woman with a curved face said. Her ears were pointed and her brown, almost black eyes were cold and cruel. "Fyraka, heaven knows, wasn't your punishment either. Aurelia wasn't impressed and I can't blame her. You don't think on your feet, do you, child?"

Tootie swallowed hard; the woman wore all black, not leather because that would have been too obvious, but a non-reflective cloth that looked seamless. Her black dragon wings fluttered and, unlike Deb, she didn't have a tail in that form. However, her teeth were sharp, like fangs, and Tootie flinched. The woman's long black hair was wrapped tight in a bun behind her head and she wore no jewelry. She had moved like a viper, too. Tootie shuddered.

"Who are you?" Tootie asked. "And how am I supposed to use magic to get rid of you?"

The woman laughed harshly. "Me? You're going to use magic to get rid of _me_? My niece was right. You really _are _impetuous."

"You're Deb's half sister?" Tootie said in shock. "But I thought you were supposed to help me."

"Actually, I believe Deborvak said 'potential aid'," Novia said. "Along with 'may or may not be inclined to help you'. My nieces are lightsiders, by and large. I am not."

"But you're not an anti faerie," Tootie said. "Your skin-"

"Isn't blue, I know," Novia said. "Deborvak is not from Fairy World. Nor am I. Deborvak allowed me to choose the appropriate punishment."

She released her and allowed her to stand upright. Waving a wand, she produced copious amounts of grey smoke and Tootie coughed, grabbing her wand too. The smoke was gone like it had never been, but, in its place, was a forest on fire. Tootie coughed again and her legs felt like someone had stabbed them a thousand times over. She crumpled and coughed, her lungs harsh and scratchy, unable to draw proper breath.

The forest before her was vast, and it looked like the flames reached to the heavens. Deborvak appeared.

"I didn't think she'd go that route," he said and winced. "Bad memories, but thanks, sis. I just wanted to let you know you can call on Vela again, if you need to. Aura isn't real fond of you right now, but Vela might be helpful. She'll be more of a guide than what she did before, though."

Tootie coughed and Deborvak frowned.

"Picture warmth spreading throughout your body and every passageway in your body clear, especially your legs," he said. "This hint is free, 'cuz Novia hit you with a double whammy."

"What-"

"Don't talk," he replied. "Just think. Imagine yourself hale and hearty. Do it now, before the poison really sets in."

"_Poison_?" she said.

"Déjà vu. Novia is an assassin, Toot. But she wouldn't have killed you either," he said. "Now, Heal yourself and face the forest with Vela."

* * *

Timmy hadn't been able to see much from his increasingly high vantage point. He also hadn't been able to do much, either, with Wanda glaring at him and forcing him to do his homework. When the red dragon had shot up out of nowhere, Timmy had yelped, but Cosmo and Wanda weren't concerned. Poof was down for his afternoon nap, after being sorely puzzled by Timmy's outfit and the whole situation, and Cosmo and Wanda were relaxing.

"I thought dragons _ate _faeries," Timmy snapped.

"Oh, they do," Wanda said. She, along with Cosmo, had changed their outfits to suit the mood. Instead of being restricted in a bun, her hair was loose and flowing down to her shoulders. She wore a yellow Medieval dress; her crown had changed into a tiara too, with pink jewels to match her eyes. At the moment, she was reading a book (and watching Timmy carefully) with Cosmo toying with her hair.

"But that's not a dragon," Cosmo said. He was wearing the skintight black pants of the age, along with, ahem, a lack of other things from the age as well. Timmy was trying to avert his gaze. His green shirt was open at the chest and the ties dangled over Wanda's head.

"If it's not a dragon, then what is it?" Timmy snapped, churlish because his godparents were forcing him to do his homework for once. That and he was wearing a dress.

"It's a faerie," Cosmo and Wanda responded. "In dragon form."

"What the heck is taking Tootie so long to rescue me?" he grumbled. "Can't the dragon at least be real?"

"Sport," Wanda said and then paused. Confused, Timmy looked up from his homework to discover Cosmo had stolen a kiss and his fingers slipped through her curls. She pushed him away.

"Deborvak wouldn't have left us with a real dragon," Wanda said. "The whole goal is for Tootie to fight her way here, and faerie magic can't affect dragons. He told us you wouldn't get hurt."

"Yeah, but he also pranked you, along with three quarters of everyone else in Dimmsdale," Timmy pointed out.

Cosmo kissed her neck and she groaned, rolling her eyes.

"Cosmo, not now!" she said.

"But…I like you in that outfit…" he whined. "And you taste like chocolate."

"Guys, seriously," Timmy said. "I want to keep my lunch down _before _I barf all over my homework."

"The fish bowl is still there," Cosmo pointed out. He continued twirling her curls on his finger and kissed her neck again. Wanda's eyelids fluttered and she sighed happily.

"We'll be back," Wanda promised. "Keep an eye on Poof. And do your homework."

"Wait, where are you going?" Timmy said.

Wanda grinned from ear to ear. "Oh, nowhere in particular, hun. Don't worry. The spell won't be over soon anyway."

They vanished and Timmy gasped, jumping to his feet. "Cosmo! Wanda!"

A note fluttered to his hands and it bore Wanda's handwriting. _"Busy, sport. Do your homework! We'll be back in twenty!"_

* * *

Tootie held up her wand and magic spread throughout her body. The irritants vanished, her legs strengthened, and confidence welled; her body was lighter and an air bubble formed around her head. Holding her head high, she surveyed the forest to determine how thick the smoke was and whether she could leave without getting too hurt. The trees weren't too close together; if she really had to, she might be able to ride Vela to safety. She waved her hand back and forth and the image flickered. Tootie gasped, jumping up and down.

Deb had said his sister was fey. The smoke wasn't real and neither was the forest. The whole thing was an illusion! It had to be faerie glamour.

Tootie closed her eyes. She wasn't accustomed to finding magic and unraveling it, but if she focused, she could sense it. Before, she'd been aware of it, which had led her to discovering Cosmo and Wanda. Deb wanted her to realize she _could _manipulate it, if she chose, and with that in mind, she sought an ending to the spell Novia had cast. Except there wasn't any…

"It's okay," a perky voice said at her side and Tootie started, opening her eyes. "Dad didn't expect you to destroy an illusion. He just wanted you to see it for what it was."

Vela was beside her and, lowering her head, nudged her shoulder with her left side. "Aurelia's not too pleased with you, and Aunt…my aunt will recover. She's not fond of children."

"So why was she helping, then?" Tootie sniffed.

"Because Grandfather didn't want to do it," Vela said. "You want a way out? Follow the unicorn-fey."

Holding her head upright, she inclined it once in a while at random spots, Tootie shut her eyes, and she saw bits and pieces of the spell. Pleased, Vela continued.

"Wouldn't it be faster if I rode you?" Tootie said. Vela stopped dead.

"Don't," she said. "Just because I'm in this form doesn't mean I'm your mount. You'll find most unicorns don't just let people plop on their backs."

Tootie walked alongside her and Vela restarted, sniffing and holding her head jauntily high. Ignoring her, Tootie looked around; despite the intense heat, the fire never actually touched her. Being aware of it had stayed some of its power, and the bubble around her head blocked the odor. Inhaling shakily, she clutched her wand and focused on bringing the bubble around her entire body. Vela stopped, observing with interest.

She brought it about halfway to her torso before the bubble snapped. Vela inclined her head and the bubble returned.

"Don't worry about it," Vela said. "You're doing pretty well for a beginner."

Tootie smiled and then grimaced. "But I still haven't rescued Timmy."

"Don't worry," she replied and grinned, shifting into a human form. She had amethyst eyes, like her father, and long purple hair with almost white blonde streaks. The hair fell to her mid back and she had on a baggy black t-shirt with silver sparkles saying- 'save a horse, ride a black unicorn'. She wore blue jeans and no shoes. She was slim, with a small chest, and Tootie stared at her feet.

"I don't need shoes, I don't wear shoes, and look, there's the exit," Vela said. "I hope Timmy's ready for Vicky."

"Vicky?" Tootie repeated.

"Oh, don't worry," Vela said, shrugging. "I'm sure Vicky won't torture him as much once she sees he's wearing a dress."

Tootie choked and Vela beamed.

"You know what's worse than being a damsel in distress? Blackmail," she sang happily.

* * *

Timmy had forsaken homework in favor of staring at the ceiling. Cosmo and Wanda still weren't back, and he was bored. Homework wasn't helping, and he would be damned if he was going to do it without Cosmo and Wanda forcing the issue. Poof was still asleep, otherwise he'd have bugged him, and waking Poof was not worth it. He knew from experience waking Poof was the first step to having his eardrums popped.

The wooden door in front of his room slammed inward and Timmy jumped. Another jarring bang issued and the fish bowl jumped on the dresser.

"Hey!" Cosmo and Wanda called.

The third time, the door crashed into the wall and Vicky, wearing a ruffian's outfit, blinked. She had on tight black pants (as tight as Cosmo's, actually, and Timmy's stomach somersaulted) and a green silk shirt which, thankfully, was not open like Cosmo's. At her side, she carried a long sword and, for a second, she and Timmy stared at each other. Her boots were curved and tipped at the ends like an elf's, and there was a pregnant pause.

"Did you lose a bet, twerp?" Vicky said.

"Didn't anyone in the medieval times wear _underwear_?" he complained.

"No one told you to look," she scoffed. Magic dust settled over her and she snarled, lunging at him. He yelped, jumping back, and looked at the fish tank.

"Guys! Help!"

Nothing stirred in the fish tank and he gulped. "_Guys_!"

Still nothing. Vicky dragged him by the collar and scrutinized him. Snickering, she shoved him through the door and dragged him to his parents' room, which had been transformed into the torture room. Axes swung from the ceiling, javelins were strapped to the walls, and she unsheathed a sword at her hips. Timmy whimpered and Vicky kicked him in the small of his back.

"I'd start with your manhood, but it looks like you've already lost it," she sneered. "So we'll start with your limbs. Do you really need two hands?"

"Cosmo! Wanda!" he yelped. "Mom! Dad! Anyone!"

"Decisions, decisions," she said. "I wouldn't want you to die of blood loss before I finished."

* * *

Striding forward, she approached a cottage and pushed open the door. A sword appeared in her hand and she grinned at it. Inside the small cottage, Vicky had strapped her beloved to a wooden table and hefted a blade between her hands. It had a red pommel and specially fitted handle. The blade was curved, with a wicked edge, and it glittered in the candlelight from the candelabra above them. Incongruous with the scene was a fish bowl and Tootie rolled her eyes. Aside from the fish bowl atop a wooden cabinet, various sharp weapons, and a wooden table, there was nothing else.

"You've come to save the twerp, huh?" Vicky sneered. The blade glittered and shone with magic. Tootie gulped and backed up.

_Stand your guard_, a voice warned inside her mind. _Sometimes magic isn't about who's the toughest and strongest. Sometimes it's about facades and __**appearing **__to be a bigger threat than you actually are._

Vicky thrust out and Tootie countered, her sword naturally knowing what to do. Her sword had a purple pummel that winked at her once and a golden jewel inset. The jewel didn't wink. It rolled its eyes. The handle she grasped giggled and was a lighter purple than the pummel. Warmth flowed through her. He hadn't abandoned her in the last task.

"I'm partial to cutting off his arm," Vicky scoffed. Her blade came within inches of striking her and her heart raced.

She had to appear better and bigger than she was. Vicky sliced at her and she moaned. Timmy was the brave one. She'd spent her life terrified.

Vicky nearly sliced her stomach open and only the sword parrying for her prevented it. Shaking, she murmured, "I can't do this."

"There is only do in the Force," Deborvak answered her.

"That's not helping!" she snapped.

"I thought it was 'do or do not, there is no try'?" Vela said.

"I think you're right…" Aurelia mused.

"Not helping!" she said. Vicky kicked her in the back and Deb hissed.

"Get up! Fight! You are half fey! Give her a show!" he ordered.

"I don't know how," she whimpered.

"Yes, you do," he said. "You can do it. You just have to stop thinking about it. Timmy's in danger. Cosmo and Wanda are busy and can't rescue him. You are his only hope. There is no 'can't' or 'don't. DO!"

Vicky belted her across the face and Tootie trembled. "I can't!"

"Yes, you can!" the blade chorused.

Vicky brought her sword to Tootie's neck and Tootie parried it, panting. She wanted to be big and commanding like her sister. She wanted to appear fearsome, to keep Vicky off her back. She wanted to be someone Timmy admired, someone like him except stronger, able to take care of herself. Imagining these qualities, she projected them onto herself and shoved Vicky back.

"What?" Vicky cried. A mirror appeared and Tootie glimpsed herself. Her outfit had changed into a skin tight leather ensemble like her sister's, with chain mail over her arms and legs and a steel helmet over her head. There were barbs on her wrists reminding her of Novia and Tootie was tempted to rub her wrists.

"No!" Deborvak hissed. "It's illusion. Faerie glamour. Later, you'll learn how to do it for real. But meanwhile…don't betray its falsehood."

In addition to the costume change, she was taller and muscular. Vicky's blows became child play to fend off. She could do this. In time, she could change herself to really be capable of beating her sister. And Deborvak was right. She _was _half fey. Vicky was completely human. A smile curved her lips.

"Leave my Timmy alone!" Tootie roared and belted Vicky across the back with the blade. Vicky whimpered, stooped to fighting dirty, and swung her leg out. Tootie, seeing this coming, rolled with it and grabbed a javelin. Armed with a sword in one hand and a javelin in the other, she grinned.

"Come on, Vicky!" she said.

Vicky grabbed an axe and swung it at Tootie's head. The sword countered, the metal clanging making her arms shudder and feel like jelly. Vicky staggered and her handle cheered. The jewel rolled its eyes again.

"Finish her!" the handle and her pommel whooped.

Vicky roared and charged her. Tootie swung the blade and it collided with Vicky's stomach. Right before it was about to mortally wound her, it halted and returned to her hand. Nonetheless, blood spread and Vicky moaned, collapsing to her feet. Tootie had a weird double image of her sister, perfectly hale, and bleeding from a grievous stomach wound. It looked to Vicky like the blade had sunk in several inches before Tootie recalled it.

"Damn you!" Vicky screeched. "Damn you!"

She disappeared in a cloud of smoke and Timmy's room returned to normal. The dress, however, remained, and, now free to laugh, Tootie pointed and catcalled. Timmy, similarly unencumbered, glared and made a rude gesture.

"I saved you, my princess!" she said and rushed at him. "Don't I get a kiss?"

"Ugh, Cosmo? Wanda?" he called and they didn't come. Grinning, she laid a big fat one on him and giggled at his laughter. He looked pretty good in a dress. She knew she'd be the one wearing the pants in that relationship.

"Great," he grumbled. "Saved by Tootie in a dress _and _I had to do homework. Could today get any worse?"

* * *

"Why didn't you guys come when I called?" Timmy asked a few hours later, disgruntled.

"Deborvak put a spell on us," Wanda said thoughtfully.

"That's okay, it was a good spell," Cosmo said.

"Not for me!" Timmy huffed.

"He wouldn't have let you get hurt," Wanda soothed. "And nothing happened to us."

"What'd he do to you, anyway?" Timmy said, eyes narrowed.

Cosmo and Wanda blushed, giggled, and Cosmo drew Wanda into his arms. He kissed her on the lips, a lingering one full of passion, and rested his forehead against hers.

"Let's just say missionary position wasn't in the cards," Wanda said.

"What?" Timmy said. His godparents laughed.

"What are you guys talking about?" he said. They grinned from ear to ear.

* * *

"You did pretty well," Deborvak said. In order to celebrate her passing, he'd thrown her a party and banished Vicky to her room with a Chip Skylark concert. Chip Skylark was a hologram, since even he had his limits, but she seemed happy. Meanwhile, balloons bedecked the room and Aurelia and Vela were eating cake side by side on her bed.

"You didn't have to throw me to the sharks like that," she said.

"That's how my teacher taught me," he said, shrugging. "And the only way to know how you'll react in a crisis is to shove you into one."

"You were never in any really danger," Aurelia said. "Jorgen wouldn't allow it."

"You're a dragon," Tootie pointed out. "Jorgen can't push you around."

"Can't push me around either," Vela said happily. "Dad's one half faerie. I'm only a quarter."

"Then…" Tootie was at a loss. She stared at the girls; Aurelia, in her human form, looked only a couple years older than her. She wore her blonde locks loose, in ringlets around her heart shaped face, and a golden chiffon gown with golden heels. She even had her legs crossed like a proper lady. She irritated Tootie a little.

"You passed," he said. "Don't worry. You don't wanna hear what would have happened if you hadn't."

"Timmy would have died?" she said and alarm drained the color from her face. Deborvak snorted and Aurelia and Vela exchanged stricken gazes.

"No, no," he said. "Cosmo and Wanda would have had my head. You'd have gone back to the boring way of doing things."

"Which is what?" she said. Vela muttered to her sister and Aurelia blew a raspberry, narrowing her chestnut eyes.

"Actually teaching you out of books," he said and groaned. "That's so boring. I like this way much better."

"Well, I don't!" she said and relented. "It _was _fun…but dangerous. You could have let me know ahead of time what you were going to do."

"Perhaps for a more serious one, I'll let you prepare," he said. "But this was fun. You enjoyed yourself. Don't worry about it. Right now, Timmy's trying to forget the night ever happened and you learned about yourself. It's all good."

"What did you do to Cosmo and Wanda, anyway?" Tootie said.

"I suppose I can tell you, since you know more about these things than Timmy," he said. "I put a lust charm on them."

"They don't notice your putting magic on them?" Tootie said, blinking.

"Of course not," Aurelia said airily. "He uses dragon magic on them. Jorgen doesn't even know what's going on."

Vela giggled. "Wouldn't he love to know half of Dad's magic is beyond him?"

"And that is why we don't tell him these things," Deborvak retorted and threw a pillow at his eldest daughter's head.

Tootie stared at Deborvak and he shrugged, staring back.

"What?" he said.

"I can't help but feel there's more you're not telling me," she said.

"There's always more," he said and smiled charmingly. "And you'll never know all of it. I'll never tell."


	7. Cold Cold California

Author's Note: I'll answer any questions for people who are curious about certain things…but I might not give you a complete answer. Heh, heh.

Cold Cold California

"Tootie, I know you meant well, but you need to stop wishing for snow," Deb said. "For one thing, we haven't seen Doidle in over a week."

"Aren't you usually the one preaching magic in abundance?" she said, wrinkling her nose. They were walking home afterschool; Deb constantly shifted into different animals. Once, he was a red robin, another time, he was a squirrel, and the third, a chipmunk. Every time he shifted, he was briefly purple and then he righted himself, projecting an image of the real animal's appearance. It was distracting and Tootie skidded into an ice patch.

"Yeah, but I hate winter," Deb said, shuddering. "An' snow. An' ice."

He melted the ice patch before she crashed into the sign ahead. "Plus, when you wished for snow, you changed all the weather patterns. The people in the Northeast are already getting bombarded and Dimmsdale's become like little New England."

"But it never snows," Tootie said. "Well, except for that one time Timmy wished it was Christmas every day. Then we were buried."

He smirked and changed into a flying squirrel. The squirrel hovered in front of her; she jerked to avoid it, and slipped on another ice patch. He produced a rubber barricade she harmlessly collided with before she fell into the street.

"All I'm sayin', Tootie, is if you keep making more snow…you might become remarkably well preserved."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" she asked, walking with her hands on her hips.

"You know what I mean," he said and changed into a blue jay. Although everything else looked normal, his eyes were piercingly royal purple and disapproving. He flew ahead a few feet, flew back, and settled on her shoulder. She noticed he was shivering.

"Why are you antsy?" she said.

"I don't…like…the cold…" he said. "I have to keep moving. I'm a fire elemental and ice is my opposite."

"But you can wield it," she said, frowning. "I've seen you do it."

"Yeah, I can," he said. "But you can clean a toilet."

"What?"

"Just because you can do it doesn't mean you like it," he said and hopped off her shoulder. He assumed the form of a tabby cat. "Tootie, reverse the wish. Dimmsdale'll be flooded for a while, sure, but it's better than being skied out of town by an angry half frozen mob."

"I like the snow," she maintained, staring at the snowflakes descending. Since her wish, there had been a snowstorm per week, just like the Northeast. School had been canceled six times, they were running into vacation time now, and still, Tootie wouldn't repent. Then again, every time school was canceled, her parents had to stay home. She smiled.

"I'll make you a deal," he said. "You don't have to reverse the wish."

"Okay…and what's the catch?" she said.

"Since you seem to like the cold so much, let's see how you live without it," he said.

"Without cold?" she said.

"No," he said and grinned cruelly. "Without heat."

* * *

The next morning, she awoke and her teeth chattered. Drawing the covers closer, she exhaled and saw her breath. Shrieking, she flung aside her sheet…and it shattered. She was startled and jumped, sliding off the bed and landing on the ice hard floor. Whimpering, she rubbed her rear and Deb appeared.

He wore a thick robe with a royal crest emblazoned on the breast and his hair was tied back in a ponytail.

"Fairy World says I can't lower the temperature to the point where you'd suffer from hypothermia," he said and rolled his eyes. "Something about 'accidentally killing someone'. But you're a magic user, which means I _can _lower the temperature beyond where a _human _would suffer from hypothermia. Fairy World isn't entirely sure the threshold a half-fairy magical user can endure…so we'll find out."

He smiled. "As always, any _Ice _elemental in my family is welcome to you while you use your magic to fix this. That leaves you Stefan and Vela, but be careful- Vela's pregnant."

"Another lesson?" she said, groaning.

"Dress warm," he said and his smile didn't reach his eyes, which were cool and unconcerned. "I hear it's gonna get _real _nippy."

He disappeared in a cloud of fairy dust and Tootie coughed, waving it away. Although she was startled Vela was pregnant, that wasn't her main concern. (It _had _been over five months since she'd seen Deb's daughter, so she supposed wasn't _that _surprising…) What was a concern was how callously Deborvak had given her the assignment and then vanished. Deb had told her during the last one she hadn't been in any real danger, that Fairy World wouldn't allow it.

She shivered and rubbed her hands together. Jumping to her feet (and promptly slipping on the ice), she reached for her winter clothes. Of course, they were in the top drawer. She grabbed the dresser knob, righted herself, and then had to grab the knobs to keep from falling over.

"How is making more ice supposed to help?" Tootie snarled, frustrated.

"You wanted ice," a familiar voice said behind her. "Dad told you he doesn't like ice."

Very carefully, keeping her back to the dresser, Tootie turned. Wearing a purple long sleeved shirt with flares at the hands and blue jeans, Vela stared back. Her pale skin was the blue of the dead and, as usual, she wore no shoes. Her long hair had streaks of blonde through it and hung down to her waist. Judging by her protruding stomach, Vela was about five months pregnant, which meshed with her last encounter.

"It reminds me of when I iced over the Empress's summer place," Vela said and grinned. "The servants went flying. Oh, that was fun."

"How is making more ice supposed to help?" Tootie said and then stared at Vela's outfit. Wearing her long johns, thick socks, and slippers, Tootie was still freezing. "And how are you not cold?"

"Oh, I never get cold," Vela said. "It's physically impossible."

"Can't you melt this?" Tootie said, gesturing to the shimmering sheet. Next door, Vicky screamed and they heard another crash, presumably her hitting the wall or the door. Vela giggled.

"Oh, no, I can't possibly do that," Vela said with a conspiratorial grin Tootie recognized. "I mean, I _could_, but one, I'm not even fairy enough to qualify as a godparent. And two, and most importantly, this is _your _lesson. I'm just here to watch and perhaps prod you in the right direction."

"So, what? I'm supposed to concentrate on fire and it comes?" Tootie said.

"Not quite," Vela said. "It's a little more complicated than that."

"Then tell me," Tootie said, exasperated.

"Dad doesn't want me to," she said and rubbed her belly.

Tootie opened her mouth to ask a question, decided it was none of her business, and shut her mouth promptly. Shivering, she opened the top drawer, fell backward, and Vela caught her. Righting her, she held her steady while Tootie grabbed her gloves.

"Oh, no, no," Vela said. "You can't wear those."

"I'll get frostbite," Tootie objected.

"You won't be able to melt anything with gloves on," she objected. "You have to project the heat from your fingertips."

"I thought you said you couldn't help me," she grumbled.

"That wasn't helping," she said. "That was telling you if you put on gloves, you'll set your hands on fire."

Rolling her eyes, she thought about her advice. It wasn't quite concentration and it probably wasn't quite projection. She imagined it warm, the way Dimmsdale normally was, and the heat shining blissfully upon the city. It touched her skin, warmed her from within, and it felt like a covered flame spread throughout her body. Heat flared and Vela exclaimed, backing up on the ice.

Before Tootie's eyes, the ice cleared from her floor and the dresser. She felt warmer, too, less like she'd been plunged into freezing water. Relieved, she grinned and proceeded to dress.

"Oh, and one other thing," Vela said, respectfully averting her gaze. "Daddy says Timmy also wished for snow. Daddy says Fairy World absolutely doesn't want you interfering with Timmy's wish, 'cuz they're trying to get Cosmo, Wanda, and Poof to reverse it. And…don't let Timmy know you have magical powers."

"I really wanted him to have another reason to call me a freak," Tootie muttered, wiping her brow. She was sweating a little.

"Are you going out like that?" she said.

"I suppose I'll have to put on shoes," Vela said and conjured up black flats. "I really hate them, though. But I can't shift, so this'll have to do."

"Why can't you shift?" she said, frowning.

"I'll lose the baby," she explained.

"Okay…" Tootie said and Vela shook her head.

"You don't need to know that much," she said. "And Daddy's tetchy about private info, particularly about me and Aura. So…shall we?"

"How am I going to explain you?" Tootie said.

"Oh, I can pop in and out," Vela said. "That's not a problem. But I can't change form."

"I'll call you and you'll come?" Tootie said.

"I'll be outside," Vela said and beamed. "I love snow!"

She vanished and Tootie rolled her eyes. Although Vela had gone, her exuberance was contagious and Tootie couldn't help but grin. Being around Vela made her even more hyper than usual and also filled her with cheer. It was hard to believe she was Deb's daughter, considering her bright and airy demeanor compared with how dark and unnerving Deb could be. It made Tootie wonder who her mother was…but if Deb had never mentioned her, there was probably a reason.

Putting on her winter boots, she headed outside, where, predictably, the entire second floor was frozen solid. Vicky exited her bedroom and glared at her younger sister.

"I don't know how, but this is somehow your fault," Vicky snapped. Her face was scrapped raw and she had a black-eye. Tootie bit back a snort.

"When I get my hands on you," she growled and lunged. Tootie stuck out her leg and Vicky crashed down the stairs. She landed on her rear and didn't move, howling in pain. Tootie rolled her eyes and raised her hands again, proceeding to melt the ice on the second floor after the fact. She'd leave Vicky's room as is. Deb would probably reverse it later or not, depending on his whim.

After fixing the stairs, she headed down. Vicky grabbed the banister, almost fell again because the banister was iced over, and hissed. She pushed off, skated into the kitchen, and Tootie halted on the final stair to appreciate the wonderland. Everything was frozen, gleaming in the sunlight coming in through the revealed windows. The power was off and Tootie gulped.

"Would you believe there's school?" Tootie's mother commented as Tootie skated into the kitchen. The cuts and bruises attested to their adventures getting downstairs. She saw Deb's face in her mind and then the injuries vanished…on her parents. Vicky still sported her black eye and scraped face. Deborvak chuckled and his presence faded.

"That's bull," Vicky grumbled. "The whole damn house is frozen."

"You'd better get ready," Tootie's mother said. "And it's not the whole house. None of our things are frozen, strangely enough."

She reached into her pocketbook and handed her daughters lunch money. Tootie knew for a fact Vicky never needed it. She shook down freshmen.

"Probably too many snow days already," Tootie's father said from behind the paper, where he was hiding so he didn't have to face Vicky.

"Better get going," Tootie's mother said. "You wouldn't want to miss the bus."

"Or crash into it," Vicky muttered darkly.

* * *

There was school, but that didn't mean Timmy's parents would stay home again. They were going skiing, abandoning Timmy since "he didn't need them while he was at school anyway". Afterschool, Vicky was due to babysit. Six days and Timmy's parents were back to abandoning him again. He tried to ignore the way his heart sank and clenched, but it was hard. Sometimes, he worried his parents didn't really love him…

"Cheer up, sport," Wanda said.

"Yeah, you can ski to school too!" Cosmo said.

Timmy groaned. Then he blinked, staring around his bedroom. "Where's Poof?"

"Babies can't be exposed to the cold for very long," Wanda said. "We had to send him to Mama Cosma."

"So…when will he be back?" Timmy said.

"Sweetie," Wanda said and grimaced. "If this cold keeps up…"

"But I like the snow," he protested. "And maybe they'll have an early dismissal."

"The cold's nice one in a while, but after a while…" Wanda said.

"What? Are you two sick of it?" he countered. "C'mon, you're my fairy godparents. Get over it. It's _just _snow."

Timmy sneezed.

"And that's just the beginnings of a cold," Wanda warned, eyes narrowing.

"What's the worst that could happen?" he said, sneezing again. "You guys are overreacting."

"Sure," Wanda said darkly.

Cosmo sneezed too.

* * *

In an act of charity, or perhaps because Deborvak wasn't allowed to risk hundreds of innocent lives, the streets were clear. No car accidents occurred and the school bus dropped them off in a timely fashion. Vela reappeared, this time wearing a winter coat and mufflers. Like her vest, everything was the same shade of Tyrian purple. She had swapped flats for boots with fluff on the edges.

"The school's iced over," Vela said and grinned. "But only certain parts. Incidentally, they follow your schedule."

"I can't believe he iced the school," Tootie groaned.

"He didn't," Vela said, shrugging. "You're not the only kid who wished for snow, you know."

Tootie frowned, staring at her ears. "Your tips. They're pointed still."

"Oh, that stays no matter what form I'm in," she said. "By the way, Daddy told me every hour it gets colder, so you might want to figure out how you're going to counter the chill sooner rather than later."

She groaned. "Any more good news?"

"Um…my baby's kicking," Vela said. "Six more weeks of winter!"

* * *

As much as she hated to admit it, Vela was right. By third period, the heat Tootie raised along her arms didn't help her classmates and the chalkboard had frozen solid, preventing teachers from teaching. Still, the school didn't close. Maybe it was taking cues from a certain state college that refused to close, despite risk to its students and faculty. Or perhaps wherever the principal was, she wasn't affected by the chill.

They huddled together for warmth and Tootie felt guilty. Timmy was bundled in Cosmo and Wanda earmuffs and gloves. Other students weren't so lucky, although she saw a few more faces on winter wear than she had anticipated. Shivering, she projected the heat firmly and barely felt the chill.

"Students, gather in the auditorium while the janitors try to figure out what's wrong with the heating system," the principal called and, in unison, the class groaned. They were frozen to their seats. In unison, they inched forward and their clothing ripped.

They heard a creaking noise and Tootie looked up, to discover the water pipe bulging. She shrieked and the door, which had to have been solid too, suddenly flared red hot and opened. A man with shoulder length black hair with purple highlights appeared in the doorway. He wore a white silk shirt and black dress pants, along with shiny black shoes. His stunning purple eyes, the same shade as Deborvak's, caught Tootie's gaze. In terms of stature, he had to be about six feet tall, thin and lithe, and his face was angular, sharper than Deb's with a long, peaked nose and high forehead. With the eye shade and shortening the forehead and face, he and Deborvak looked rather similar.

"I'm here to collect Tootie," he said and then shot Cosmo and Wanda a dirty look. "And remind a certain duo about the danger of turning students into an exhibit for future generations."

"Tootie, go," the teacher said. Her lips had turned blue. Tootie stared at the man, who had to be Stefan. His skin was the same unnerving hue as Vela's and she could have sworn his ears were tipped like hers.

Stefan waved his hand and the path cleared, invisible to the eyes but no longer ice. Once she exited, Stefan drew her aside, proceeding to warm the path slowly until they were near the lockers.

"Don't lean against those," he warned. "Unless you'd like to become intimately acquainted."

"I thought you were only supposed to show up when I needed help," she said.

"Yes and no," he said. "I'm here to tell you it's a two part system. One, you need to figure out a way to fix the heating system. It should be a simple matter, Deborvak assures me…without telling me how. Second…he would like to impress upon you the urgency of reversing the spell. This isn't all his doing."

"I thought he said it was," Tootie snapped. "He told me I was doing all of this by wishing for it."

"He only said that because he hates winter," Stefan said and rolled his eyes. "Also, he thought you might be fonder of him than you let on and would wish it away by virtue of the fact you care so much. Deborvak has an ego problem."

She sighed. "Any idea how to fix the heating system?"

"Incubation," he said.

"But I don't have that kind of power," she groaned.

"If you can block off the vents…" he frowned. "Ah, I've said too much. But one more thing, although Deborvak won't thank me. Remember bodies aren't the only things that hold heat."

He disappeared and Tootie thought about Vela's pregnancy. She was wondering before how the baby could keep warm in an Ice elemental. But that part of her body had to be warmer than the rest…and incubation could help baby birds, who didn't have their mother…

"Oh!" she exclaimed.

She rushed to the science lab. In a baby bird's incubation tank, they used blankets and a heat lamp. Tootie couldn't conjure a heat lamp, especially not without a wand, but she could project heat. Maybe she could store the heat within something and then line the vents. It'd block off the cold air, perhaps stir warmer currents…

No one was in the hallways, bereft of ice. She saw, in her mind's eye, Stefan nod and wink. In the science lab, she discovered Vela, who was peering at a beaker and frowning.

"Daddy said I'm not allowed to experiment," she pouted. "He said I've done enough chemistry."

Tootie looked at Vela's protruding belly, which wasn't quite noticeable but would get more noticeable in the coming months. Vela snorted and pointed to a cabinet where, normally, one found Bunsen burners and lighters. Instead, there were blankets.

"You can store heat in the blankets like you can store magic in amulets," Vela said. "Not that you can use this information now, but it might prove useful in the future."

She beamed. "You wanna skate around school? It's so funny. The teachers keep colliding and all the math teachers keep losing their calculators."

She reached Tootie in the doorway, pulled her in, and brought her to the cabinet. "They haven't been hurt. I'd _never_ laughif a human hurt himself."

But her gleaming eyes said otherwise.

"Can you show me how to store heat?" Tootie asked and Vela shook her head.

"But I can give you a hint," she said. "You have to push outward, like you did before, except more!"

"That's…not helpful," she told her.

"Maybe I don't want to be helpful," Vela snapped suddenly. "Did you ever think about that? Did you ever consider that maybe I don't wanna be helping a random human godchild when I have more important things to do?"

Tootie retreated.

"I have more important things to do than babysit, you know!" Vela huffed.

"Um…okay…" Tootie said. "Where'd Stef go?"

"Oh, you'd like that, wouldn't you?" Vela snapped. "Just hang out with Grandfather and ignore me completely!"

"Wait, Stef is Deb's father? Why does he call him Stefan, then?" Tootie said.

"If you don't know I'm not going to tell you!" Vela announced and stormed out. Tootie's mouth dropped. That was…scary.

Staring at the cabinet, she opened it and brought out a blanket. Spreading it on a lab table, she shut her eyes and focused. Bringing out the heat from within her, she propelled it onto the blanket.

At first, she could only sense the tip of her magic and it frustrated her. Then she felt a blaze of warmth envelope her, like she had entered a hot bath after a long, cold day. Smiling, she pushed again, feeling the channel open up and flow through her. Once the blanket was sufficiently warm, she grabbed another, and another.

After she felt wrung out, unable to touch the rest of her power, she stopped and headed for the door. She turned back and frowned. She could have sworn…but he didn't like the cold…

And besides, he had told her only Ice elementals could help.

"Deborvak?"

There was no answer. Then again, if he had illicitly helped her, there wouldn't be.

* * *

Stuffing the vents turned out to be relatively easy. The janitors were desperate for tips and although they had no idea how the blankets had gotten so warm, they weren't going to question it. Tootie handed the blankets off and discovered the temperature had increased. It was still frigid, but not unbearable.

She discovered Timmy unable to open his locker and sneezing up a storm.

"Cold?" she inquired.

"No," he said. "I'm fine." He sneezed again and then coughed. As a magnet, Wanda narrowed her eyes.

Cosmo, a pin on his backpack, also sneezed.

"Not tempted to wish it was warm?" she teased.

"No," he snapped. "They'll let us home early and then my parents will have to pick me up."

"Or get Vicky," she said.

"They have to come," he said sullenly.

"I thought they went skiing," she said.

"Darn it," he snapped and kicked the locker. His foot stuck and Cosmo and Wanda groaned.

She touched her hands to the locker and it warmed enough for him to move. Wanda shot her a warning look and she moved away.

Once she reached her own locker, Deborvak reappeared as a mirror. "You've done enough…of your magic. I'm still waiting for you to reverse your wish."

She groaned and looked at Timmy, who was sneezing again and shivering violently. Her heart went out to him.

"Oh, that's him being an idiot," Deb scoffed. "He'll get over it and end up in bed for a week. Though you can't really blame him."

"Is Stef your father?" she said instead of what she had originally planned.

"No," he said. "Stefan is my grandfather."

"Then why does Vela call him 'Grandfather'?" Tootie said.

"Because my father doesn't exist," he said and his face went blank. His eyes looked through her and she shivered. "We will never discuss my father."

He brightened and his gaze returned to almost normal. "Now, about un-wishing this wish!"

"Okay…" she said, disconcerted by how quickly he had changed topics. "I wish-"

"Don't get cute and wish I'd tell you about my father," he snapped and she stiffened. His eyes were merciless, worse than she had ever seen in Vicky, because at least with Vicky, there was fury and a live wire to touch. There was a wall Tootie could never penetrate and a subtle warning to watch her step.

"Okay…" she grimaced. "That bad?"

"Unwish the wish," he said.

"I wish it'd stop snowing and we could finally return to seasonal warmth!" she said.

"Now Cosmo and Wanda just have to work on Timmy," he said. He smiled, but there was no humor.

"Your family is strange…" she mused.

"Yes," he said sharply. When Deborvak shut her out, sometimes he scared her. Sometimes she worried there was a side to him Jorgen didn't know about and he kept it well hidden, except for little glimpses. The glimpses that said he wasn't as happy or as well-adjusted as he pretended.

* * *

By the time lunch rolled around, Timmy couldn't stop sneezing and his nose was stuffed. It was the fastest acting cold he'd ever had and he was growing unintelligible. But that didn't matter. Once he was sent home early, his parents would have to cancel their trip and return. They had to. It wasn't like they were going to call Vicky out of school and force her to babysit him.

Cosmo being sick wasn't a problem. Unless it was the Fairy Flu, but he didn't think it was. They could just heal themselves.

His eyes watered and he slumped over the table. He wasn't hungry and sat alone; his friends, fearing his cold was contagious, had left him alone.

"Sport, don't you think it's time you un-wished this wish?" Wanda said. "We can make you better."

Cosmo sneezed and sent Timmy's milk carton sailing across the table. They were disguised as salt and pepper shakers.

"No way," he said, thoroughly congested. "I'll go home early and my parents will have to cancel their trip to take care of me. Piece of cake."

He started coughing and couldn't stop. Wanda gave him an invisible pat on the back and offered him water.

"Like they did the last ten times you've been sick?" Cosmo said. "Oh, wait, that was Vicky they sent. Nothing says 'sick in the head' like Vicky!"

Timmy sneezed again and groaned. "Maybe they'll change their minds."

Cosmo sneezed. "And I'm not an idiot!"

* * *

Nearly halfway through school, Timmy couldn't travel without magical aid. Cosmo and Wanda had to help him to the nurses' office and only more magical aid kept Wanda germ free, with Cosmo and Timmy sneezing up a storm. Someone had to be in charge of this mess. He trudged inside and plopped on a cot…only for another kid to shove him off. Timmy groaned and looked up. Cosmo and Wanda groaned too. The waiting room was full.

"Go wait in the auxiliary room," an aide said without looking at him. The auxiliary room was packed too and he had to drop onto the floor beside a chair.

"Sport, I hate to say this, but they're not going to send you home without someone to pick you up," she said. "And right now…"

Timmy groaned and tried to tune out her advice. Did she always have to be right? It was so annoying. He buried his face in his hands and didn't notice the door open or a figure walk up.

"Daddy says other parties aren't allowed to interfere with your wish, but according to Fairy World, I don't exist anyway," a cheerful voice said and he lifted his head. A young woman with a slightly protruding belly and long purple hair, mixed with blonde streaks, handed him a rather warm blanket. She had a heart shaped face and she beamed when his eyes met hers.

"You be nice to Tootie," she said.

"Who're you?" he said, at least, that was what he attempted. He sneezed and held the blanket away. After some fumbling, he wrapped it around himself.

"Someone to keep an eye on you," she said. She grinned. "In a non-creepy way, of course."

Giggling, she backed out of the door and Timmy stared. Her ears were pointed.

"Um, guys?" he said.

"Quarter fey, if I had to guess," Wanda said.

"Wow, she's even more of a half breed than Toot-" Cosmo started and Wanda elbowed him hard.

Timmy let their words wash over him. He groaned and shut his eyes. It didn't matter how many people were ahead of him. Maybe he'd fall asleep and his parents would be here when he woke up. Cosmo and Wanda bundled inside the warm blanket and he hugged them to him.

His real parents…

**

* * *

**

"I can't believe it," Wanda murmured after Timmy had passed out. "He'd rather get sick than call off the wish."

Cosmo didn't answer and she groaned. Of course. He'd conked out too. Shutting her eyes, she decided if it was nap time, she might as well take the sleep where she could get it.

* * *

"_Can _you call off their wishes?" Tootie asked after visiting the nurses' office and discovering Timmy still there, unconscious. Deb had reappeared, disguised a hooked earring.

"I could," he said. "In both senses of the word. Fairy World allows us to undo someone else's wish, although they don't like it. I could also use magic that supersedes their own and prevent them from countermanding me."

"There's a but coming," she said, walking away from the nurses' office and toward her last period class, gym.

" 'But' Jorgen doesn't know the extent of the magic I can perform outside Fairy World control and," she could hear the grin, "I don't intend to clue him in."

"How powerful are you, really?" she murmured.

He scoffed and didn't answer. After a few seconds, he jerked on her earlobe.

"You might want to impress upon him the importance of not forcing Vicky to play nursemaid," he said. "Her bedside manner is up there with my Elders."

Tootie saw the dangling lure there and considered following it, but the way he had casually thrown it into conversation didn't necessarily mean he'd open up. Frowning, she said, "What makes you think he'll listen?"

"He might listen to the devil if it brought him relief," he said. "That's some fast acting cold."

"Can't you talk to Cosmo and Wanda?" she said.

"I don't-" he stopped and swallowed. "You're gonna be late, Toot-Toot, so hustle."

Instead of walking to the gym, she pivoted and headed for the nurses' office. Timmy had been moved to a cot in the back and his eyelids fluttered. Upon her arrival, Wanda reappeared as a mouse on Timmy's chest. Deborvak vanished and though she sensed him, she couldn't see him.

"A little birdie told me I should convince you to change things around," she said. "Before Vicky ends up being your nurse."

He groaned. She wasn't sure how much he could understand and she pressed her palm to his forehead. Wincing, she withdrew it.

"_Before _you end up in the hospital," she said.

"Trixie?" he said.

"Smooth," Deborvak said from somewhere near her temple. "I'd work with that, if I were you. And if I were me, I'll be sitting here mocking you."

"Thanks for the words of support," she muttered.

"No problem!"

"Wouldn't you rather everything was back to normal, nice, warm, and no pesky cold?" she said. She tried a Trixie-like grin and it felt creepy, unnatural. "I'd like you better if you weren't sneezing all the time."

In an undertone, she added, "Believe me."

"Will you go out with me if I make everything warm again?" Timmy slurred.

Deborvak laughed. "Beer goggles?"

"I promise," she said and then grinned wickedly. She saw, in her mind's eye, Deborvak grin wickedly too.

"Okay, then, um, I wish everything was back to the way it was, with no random snow storms and no cold!" he said.

An instant later, his cold vanished and he stared at Tootie. Then he screamed, recoiling on the bed.

"You're not Trixie!"

"Usually, you have to wait until the morning after for that one," Deborvak said.

* * *

Basking in her warm house, sans ice and Vicky, Tootie stretched out on her bed. It was sad Timmy had to deal with her sister in order for Tootie to be free, although she wasn't complaining at the moment. Vela was sitting and watching a sci fi show and Deborvak was sitting with a large book in his lap and ignoring everyone else.

"It's good to be warm," Tootie said.

"Feh," Vela said. "Warmth is overrated. I love the cold."

Tootie glanced at Deb, but he was engrossed in his book. Vela poked the space around him and encountered a magical barrier.

"He must be studying," Vela observed.

"I thought he already knew magic from Jorgen?" Tootie said.

"He does," Vela said. She grinned. "Jorgen isn't his only master."

Although he gave no other indication of noticing their conversation, Deb's lips twitched.

"Am I going to meet this 'other master'?" Tootie said.

"I hope not," Vela said at the same time Deborvak, closing the book, glanced in Tootie's direction. His body radiated purple magic and his gaze arrested her.

"No," he said. "Not unless you have a death wish."

At a loss, she gawked and he smiled, waving the matter aside.

"Now, who's ready to make up the days you missed by losing summer vacation?" he called and rubbed his palms together. Her mouth dropped.

"What?" he said and grinned. "There's no such thing as a free day, Toot-Toot. Not by half."

"But- but-" she sputtered. "I learned how to project fire! I got Timmy to un-wish a wish! Why do I have to attend more school?"

"Wah," he teased, his eyes glittering, mocking. "Poor baby."

"I wish we didn't have school tomorrow _and _it didn't come out of summer vacation," Tootie said defiantly.

"Okay," he agreed and held up his wand. "It'll just come out of spring break!"

"HEY!" she cried.

"You said you didn't want it to come out of summer vacation," he said and beamed. "It has to come out of somewhere. Don't blame the messenger."

He pretended to file his nails with his wand.

"I wish you'd tell me about your father," she said. Deb's smile dropped like it had never been there.

"No."

It was like the temperature had dropped without the wish and Tootie shivered. Vela shuddered too and hugged herself.

"It's against Da Rules not to grant me a wish," she pointed out.

"He was a great Elven warrior, he died, left the family, end story," Deborvak snapped and disappeared with a loud pop. Tootie's mouth dropped.

"Do me a favor," Vela said, gulping. "Never bring up Grandfather Illiyich. If I were you, I'd never bring it up his past again, either."

"He's supposed to be uniquely in tune to me because he's part faerie like me," Tootie protested. "How am I supposed to commiserate with him if he won't tell me?"

"Because some things are better left in the dark," Vela said. "This family has too many skeletons in its closet."


	8. Mysterious Mysteries

Author's Note: The nightmare. It was a doozy. *innocent look*

Mysterious Mysteries

Today was a good day to check in on his daughter. He hadn't had time in the last few months, plus, truth be told, he hadn't wanted to admit her existence. Wanda hadn't noticed him anymore than she had before and Tootie hadn't shown magical aptitude or good looks. There was no need to own up to her, since Fairy World hadn't publicly acknowledged her and she was a mistake…but he was still curious. And she might be coaxed into interacting more with Wanda and giving him a reason to linger.

He floated by her window and stared at her, playing with a Timmy doll and then tossing it into a box marked 'Goodwill'.

"Curious," he said.

"So are you," a harsh male voice snapped. Floating beside him was a faerie with tipped ears, dark purple eyes and hair, and a soft looking purple robe. His hair flowed to about mid-back and his face was rounder than a normal faerie. His gaze was also considerably more caustic.

"The curious case of Juandissimo Magnifico," the faerie snapped. "If you owned up to your 'mistakes', I wouldn't be here."

"And what is that supposed to mean?" he said. "I do not even know who you are."

Juandissimo flexed and his shirt ripped, disappeared, and reappeared. "You have me at a disadvantage, Mister…?"

"Tylae," he said. "Deborvak Tylae. I'm Tootie's faerie godfather, charged with teaching her magic and granting her wishes, something _you _obviously couldn't handle."

"Teaching her magic?" Juandissimo said. "I did not think it was customary for half breeds to learn magic."

"I didn't think it was customary for faerie fathers to abandon their offspring either," Deborvak snapped. "But here you are. Tell me- is her life enough of a show? Or do you only tune in when there's nothing else on?"

"I have other obligations," Juandissimo said and posed. He conjured a mirror to admire himself and it exploded. Startled, he stared at Deborvak, whose wand wasn't out. His eyes flashed.

"To thine own self be true," he spat. "You certainly aren't true to anyone else."

"What is that supposed to mean? I have responsibilities," he said. "A godson who really needs me."

"An' a daughter who barely knows you exist," he snapped. "But I see how it is. You only care when you look good. Who the hell cares how you treat one little girl if she's not part of an assignment?"

"I look in on her time and time again," Juandissimo demurred, growing defensive. Who was this faerie to attack him?

"I've been Tootie's godfather for almost a year," he snapped. "In that time, I have seen you, oh, let's see…_zero times_."

"I told you I was busy," he said.

"I see," Deborvak snarled. "Time enough to have her, not enough time to give a damn about her."

"Who are you to judge me?" Juandissimo said. "I have never seen you before in my life."

"Who am I?" Deborvak retaliated. "For one thing, I'm the one cleaning up the mess you made. For another thing, I'm a proud father of two and I would never dream of abandoning them just because I was too goddamn vain to admit I had what you think of as an 'ugly daughter."

"You know nothing!" Juandissimo snapped, color rushing to his face. "I do not need to waste my time talking to you."

"Or looking in on your daughter," Deborvak snapped, his tone growing dangerous, threatening. "They reserve a special place in hell for deadbeat fathers, you know."

"I don't have to stay here and be threatened," Juandissimo snapped and raised his wand. It exploded.

"I may not be allowed to kill you, because Jorgen would take offense," Deborvak said and then smiled. "But there are far worse fates than death."

"I should tell-"

The words died on his lips. His throat seized and he couldn't speak, could barely breathe. Pressure suffocated him and he gagged. His vision flickered.

"You will tell no one," he said. "You will not speak unless spoken to. I will leave you alone, since, as you said, you have…obligations. I'd sleep with one eye open, if I were you. My true master isn't one who knows the meaning of the word 'mercy'."

Waving his hand, he cast Juandissimo back into Remy's house with his wand intact. Juandissimo opened his mouth and nothing came out. Although the incident was firmly embedded in his mind, he couldn't articulate it. All he could see was Deborvak's dead stare and he shivered. No, it was ridiculous. The only faerie who ever threatened anyone was Big Daddy and Deborvak wasn't a Mafioso. That did beg the question…who _was _he?  
**

* * *

**

"Hey, Toot-Toot," Deborvak said, popping into his goddaughter's room. "How's Goodwill hunting coming along?"

"Almost done," she said. "Can you believe it's been almost a year and a half since Timmy launched a water balloon at me?"

"I cannot," he said and grinned. "Since I wasn't there to witness it. Did you ever get him back?"

"No, but I think some of the stuff you've pulled might qualify," she said. "Where'd you go?"

"Oh, to take care of some errands," he said. "You know, beat around the bus and then scold it soundly."

She rolled her eyes. "Timmy's parents are having a picnic this Saturday. Are you coming? I know you don't…get along with Cosmo and Wanda."

"I'll consider it," he said. "Depends on whether my schedule's free."

Picking up the box, she headed toward the door. He opened it and they headed down, with him settling on her shoulder as a parakeet. He nipped her hair affectionately.

"Why wouldn't it be?" she snorted.

"Oh, you know," he said. "I have to have time for tail."

"In all the time I've known you, you've never shown me a single girlfriend," Tootie said. She walked carefully down the stairs. Vicky had flung her old torture implements into a box and was grinning evilly. Some of the tools were rusted and covered in what looked unpleasantly like old bloodstains. Tootie shuddered and Deborvak nipped her again to reassure her. She stroked his neck feathers and he chirped.

"That's because there's never 'just one'," he said.

"I can't get one guy and you have girls falling all over you?"

"What can I say? It's a gift," he said. Tootie joined her parents, who had their boxes lined up, in the kitchen. The Goodwill truck came around apparently once a year and everyone wanted to have their boxes in order. It was scheduled around noon and Tootie looked at the clock anxiously. The last time it had been late, Vicky had opted to use a flamethrower instead. She shuddered.

"You know," he murmured, "we could have another magic lesson, if you want."

"Are you going to give me another impossible assignment?" she said, groaning.

"Solve world hunger," he said. "You have five seconds. Go!"

"Don't be ridiculous," she scoffed.

"Who's being ridiculous?" he said. "I'm your faerie godfather, baby. I can do whatever I please."

"I bet you say that to all the girls," she murmured.

"Only to the pretty ones," he said. "And the ones who take off their clothes in mental wards."

"I'm not going to dignify that with a response," she said.

Hopping to the couch, she settled down and stared at the clock. Vicky sat beside her and Deb pecked at her fingers. Hissing, she reached to smack him and he batted her in the face with his wings. Vicky glared, evidently giving up for the moment. She nudged Doidle, asleep at her feet.

"See Tootie's stupid bird?" she snapped at Doidle. "Eat him."

"Polly want an idiot," Deb said and Vicky snarled.

"Cool it," Tootie muttered.

"Oh, I'm not afraid of her," he murmured. "She's just a big bully."

"You know, Tootie, I think you forgot to pack something," Vicky snapped, jumped to her feet, and grabbed the flamethrower. She aimed it in Deb's direction, Deb took flight, and suddenly, the flamethrower stopped working. Puzzled, Vicky turned it toward her…and it started working again, just in time to set her on fire. It shut off, singeing her and turning her hair to cinders. Vicky flung it aside and huffed, stomping off.

Pleased, Deborvak settled back on Tootie's shoulder like nothing had happened.

"Are you going to the picnic or not?" Tootie said, also acting like nothing had happened. Deborvak pulling a fast one on Vicky wasn't exactly rare.

"I dunno," he said and sighed. "That depends."

"On what?" he said.

"On my schedule."

"I thought you were joking," she said.

"In the amount of time you've known Juandissimo is your real father, how many times have you seen him?" he said.

She blinked, startled at the sudden subject change. Tugging on her ponytail, she glanced at the family portrait and then at him. Her parents were still in the kitchen.

"I'm not sure," she said. "Why?"

"No reason," he said. "Has he shown any inclination toward you?"

She shrugged. "I think he just wanted to get Wanda's attention. That was what she told me probably happened. He heard she was destined to be Timmy Turner's godmother and wanted to get close to her somehow, so he fathered me."

In his current form, it was impossible to tell emotions. "This doesn't concern you?"

"It does, but…" she frowned. "It's not like it'd be the first time I was chasing someone who didn't want me around."

"No, it wouldn't," he agreed. "And it wouldn't be the first time someone didn't own up to their responsibility, either."

"Why are you thinking about it now?" she said. Restless, she rocked back and forth on the couch. "Did you meet him? Did you talk to him?"

"No," he said. "I definitely did not meet your father."

"Oh…" she said and deflated. "I guess because I'm not hanging out with Timmy that often, he doesn't see a reason to be near me."

Deborvak was still and she glanced at him. He shrugged.

"I'm going to talk to Cosmo and Wanda," he said. "See if they want me hanging around their picnic on Saturday."

"Um, okay, sure," she said. "Don't be nervous, Deb. They're good faeries. They'd never hurt you."

He inclined his head and disappeared in a cloud of faerie dust. It was a weird conversation, but whatever was bothering him would usually clear itself up. He didn't normally remain down- he bounced back. She wasn't terribly concerned.

* * *

True to his word, he popped over to Timmy's room to see how the group fared. Cosmo had changed into a monkey and balanced on a large rubber ball. Wanda was trying to calm Poof down for a nap, but the infant faerie kept shifting and trying to hit her. Timmy, attempting to stay out of the way, had withdrawn to a corner of the room. Deborvak stared and considered the best way to approach the problem without causing more drama.

Shutting his eyes, he sent out positive, calming energy to Poof and reassured him nothing bad would happen. Then he changed into something non-threatening, a large teddy bear, and held out a bottle.

"It's okay, Poof-Poof," he said. "Nobody's gonna harm you. Your mom just wants you to drink your bottle and go down for a nap."

Poof blinked, confused, and raised an octopus arm, uncertain whether he wanted to smack Deb with it. Deb beamed calming energy and smiled.

"How can you hate on a bear?" he said. "C'mon, Poof."

Wanda groaned and wiped sweaty hair away from her forehead.

"I'm a bear," Deb continued. He sang an old lullaby from his village and Poof's eyelids fluttered. "You can't be mad at a giant teddy bear, can you, Poof-Poof?"

"Poof…" Poof protested and then fell asleep. Deb shifted into his normal form and caught Poof before he fell. Smiling, he cradled him and handed him off to Wanda. Cosmo shifted too and everyone heaved a sigh of relief.

"Sorry about the bottle," he said. "But you'll get him to eat later, I'm sure."

"How did you _do _that?" Wanda said.

"You put out positive energy to soothe the savage baby beast," he said and grinned. "They let me take care of kids in my village."

"Can you do that every day?" Cosmo said.

"'Fraid not," Deb said. "Wanda, we need to talk."

"Why not me?" Cosmo said.

"This matter primarily concerns Wanda, not you," Deborvak said. "It has to do with Juandissimo."

"Great, more faerie drama," Timmy said, rolling his eyes. "If you need me, I'll be playing video games."

He scooted away from the corner and up to the TV. Glancing at them once, he switched the TV on, then his video game system, and launched into a Crash Nebula game. Deb looked at him briefly and then at Cosmo and Wanda.

"Shall we?" he said.

"We'll only be a minute, sweetie," Wanda said.

Cosmo looked about to protest, until something on the video game drew his eye. Grabbing the second controller, he zoomed next to Timmy and joined in. In a few seconds, it was like Deb and Wanda had vanished. Frowning, Wanda brought them into the castle, dropped Poof off in the nursery, and plopped them inside a small sitting area with a large flat screen TV and a pink and green couch.

"What about Juandissimo?" she said, groaning.

"You were aware Tootie is part of a vast plot to gain your attention and he sees her as nothing but a tool?" he said.

She blinked. "Wow, you don't mince words."

She patted the couch and he jumped, standing behind it instead.

"You don't have to be scared, you know," she said in a placating voice. "You did a great job with Poof."

"I don't want to talk about that," he said. "You've allowed this to go on?"

"I can't do anything about it," she said, grimacing. "He's been chasing me for millennia. Having a child with a human is against Da Rules and almost impossible, magically, but…"

"But it's been done," he completed. "If he's her father, he should _act _like her father."

"Sometimes that's where we have to come in," she said. "We have to pick up the slack when parents are too busy or…otherwise engaged."

"I understand that part," he said. "What I don't understand is why everyone cuts him slack. He's her father, damn it. He doesn't deserve kudos for abandoning his offspring."

"And no one is giving it to him," she said softly. "Our responsibility is to our godchildren."

"So you let him off the hook."

"I didn't say that."

He paced. "You don't think he should be punished."

"Punished?" she repeated. "I agree what he did was reprehensible, but it's not up to us. It's up to Jorgen. Our job is to take care of our godchildren, not to take sides."

"That's for _human _parents," he said. "Not supernatural ones. A faerie can do anything he pleases, unlike a human. He's neglecting his duties as a father by treating her like a tool at best, a mistake at worst."

"Is Tootie upset?" she said.

"No," he said. He breathed in sharply. "She thinks he's going to miraculously show an interest. I know the look. I know the feeling. I wanted to see how you felt about it, since you're the holier than thou closest thing to lightsider I know."

He spun and faced her. "Especially since he _was _your paramour."

"I wouldn't call him that," she said. "We dated over ten thousand years ago."

"He had a child to get your attention," he said. "He took advantage of an adult woman and now he's taking advantage of a child. A _child_, Wanda."

"I know," she said. "But there's nothing I can do."

"You can talk to him," he said. "He obviously values your opinion."

He eyed her. "Unless it's not your opinion he values so highly."

She growled and his gaze turned blank, dead. "If you don't talk some sense into him, I will show him exactly what I've been taught."

He smiled. "And then I wash my hands of him."

* * *

Deb's words plagued her for the rest of the day. She hadn't given much thought to Tootie, although she pitied her. Clearly, Deborvak's priorities were different. In time, godparents grew to love and care about their godchildren. She sensed this went deeper, perhaps to something personal, but that didn't mean he didn't have a point. Once she had learned Juandissimo had fathered the child to get her attention, she should have interceded and impressed upon him the necessity of owing up to his responsibility. She had spoken to him once, but it clearly wasn't enough.

Cosmo and Timmy were occupied with the video game and she placed Poof on the bed. He'd wake in time and join his brother. Telling her oblivious family where she was going, she waved her wand and reappeared on Remy Buxaplenty's property. The rich boy was swimming laps with Juandissimo sunning himself on a nearby chair. There was no one present except for Remy and Juan. The latter jumped into midair once he saw her.

"Wandita!" he exclaimed. "You have never visited me before- I am honored."

"You shouldn't be," she said. "I need to talk to you."

He purred. "I am all yours, senora."

Yanking him by the ponytail, she drew him out of Remy's hearing range. "Tootie's godfather seems to think you're neglecting your duty as Tootie's father."

"Wandita, I am busy," he said.

"I see that," she snapped. "Very busy getting a tan."

"She has human parents, a faerie godfather of her own," he said and shrugged. "She does not need me."

"As the magical link to her past, she needs you to help find herself," she said. "Deborvak isn't enough."

"Will you be there?" he said and grinned. "I will come if you will."

"I have a godson," she snapped. "And, unlike you, a child I admit to."

"Mi amor, if we had a child, I would not deny it," he said. She slapped him.

"Do something about Tootie," she said. "You know what I'm like when I'm angry."

In a quiet tone, shaking slightly, he said, "I know what Deborvak is like too."

* * *

Later that night, Tootie was reading for pleasure and Deborvak was buried in another magical tome bigger than he was. He was bent over double, tracing the words, and his hair flopped over his face. In that state, he was oblivious and throwing things at him sent them flying across the room. He was also levitating, something he didn't do naturally, unlike normal faeries.

She looked up when Wanda appeared.

"What are you doing here?" she said.

"I'm here to talk to your godfather," she said. She looked at Deb, who hadn't noticed her appearance.

"He won't hear you unless you use his full name," she said. "He's in a trance."

"What's his full name?" Wanda asked.

"Deborvakovik," she said and Deb jerked. He looked up, marked his place in the book, and banished the shield.

"Wanda," he said and smirked. "What a surprise. What brings you to my humble abode?"

"I impressed upon a certain someone the magnitude of the situation," she said. "Hopefully, he'll get the hint."

"If not, there's always torture," he said lightly. Tootie stared.

"You're joking, right?" she said.

His gaze met Wanda's. "Non-violent maneuvers?"

"So far," she said. "You could let this go, Deborvak. You can't do much about it."

"Oh, I can do a lot," he said darkly. "It's a matter of how many pieces he wants his godfather in."

"I think we'll try something else first before we resort to that," she said.

"As you wish," he said and inclined his head. "We'll do things your way for a week. If the situation should not improve…"

He smiled humorlessly. "Hell hath no fury like a dragon scorned."

…

Juandissimo awoke, covered in sweat and panting from a nightmare. The images burned behind his eyelids when he tried shutting his eyes and he shuddered, straightening from a tiny ball. Remy was fast asleep and his throat constricted, unable to scream, unable to speak. His worst fears had paraded before his eyes, every mistake he'd ever made and every wrongdoing back to ruin him.

Tomorrow, he'd go see Tootie. Before the nightmare, he hadn't considered it, but now, it seemed imperative.

He didn't know where the nightmare had come from and he didn't want to know. He was afraid of the answer.

* * *

Shaking, still rattled, he appeared in Tootie's bedroom early Saturday morning. Deborvak was perched in a birdcage. He appeared to be asleep and Juandissimo settled on Tootie's bed. It was strange for a faerie to have a child, let alone a human one, and he had a hard time coming to terms, even though he had originally done it to bring Wanda closer. Human children were never his personal concern, not like this, and it was easier to hand off responsibility than to own it. After all, the child already had two parents and a sister.

"Easier to run away?" Deborvak said harshly.

Juandissimo looked up. Tootie was sleeping…but Deborvak had been pretending.

"I am here," he snapped. "Was that not what you wanted?"

"I want an answer," he said. "I want to know why it's so goddamn easy for people like you to walk away from their offspring and not care what becomes of them. I want to know where it says you can help bring a child into this world and then decide you're done."

"She has parents," he said.

"So that makes it okay?" Deb retorted. "She has someone to take care of her, therefore, you're absolved? Is she that much of a drag, Juandissimo? Does she _cramp _your style?"

"She has you," he said.

"She didn't have me before," he snapped. "And she wants _you_. Every child wants their parents, not a cheap imitation. You make me sick."

"She does not need me."

"I've heard it before," he said and his tone cut through Juandissimo like a knife. "I've heard all the excuses. Where I come from, a parent abandoning their children is almost a rite of passage. So either you man up and get in her life or you stay the hell away from her. You don't do anything in half measures, because if I see you slinking around here again and getting her hopes up, I'll be sending you back to your godson in a body bag."

"Is that a threat?" he hissed.

"I don't threaten," Deborvak said and smiled. "I promise. You won't be the first and you won't be the last."

"Deb?" Tootie called.

"You make your choice right now," he snapped. "Stay or go. Love her or leave her."

"Deb, what's going on?" she said and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Juandissimo tensed and looked at Deborvak, who had shifted into his normal form. Except…the eyes were wrong. Rather than their normal purple, they were yellow, draconic.

"Tootie, I came to say good morning," Juandissimo said. Deborvak inclined his head.

"Juandissimo?" she said and opened her eyes fully. "It's you! It's really you!"

"Keep your voice down," Deborvak counseled and smiled. This time, the smile reached his eyes.

Beaming, she jumped on the bed and then frowned. "Wait, why are you here?"

"I have decided, after much thought," he said and looked at Deb and then out the window, Timmy Turner's house, "I should be more involved in your life."

"This isn't a trick to get Wanda back?" she said.

"No trick," he reassured her.

Tootie beamed again and Deborvak disappeared. Juandissimo relaxed. He wasn't certain how he felt about this, but between the threats, the nightmare, and guilt…maybe it was best, in the long run.

He allowed the child to hug him and shuddered.

"What is it?" Tootie asked.

"I do not want to get on Deborvak's bad side again…" he muttered.

* * *

"I thought I'd tell you he changed his mind," Deb said, popping into Timmy's room.

"Because of me?" Wanda said.

"No," he said. "But you can take the credit if you want. A little nightmare here and there can go a long way."

"How do you know it was a nightmare?" Wanda said, frowning.

"My dear…" he said and then grinned impishly. "I learn from the best."

"But…Jorgen doesn't teach nightmares…" Wanda protested.

"Exactly."


	9. Wishful Thinking: Part One

Author's Note: This did not go as planned. At all. I thought I'd end it halfway through and make it a two parter. The first part will be posted before GU: TT and the second will be posted after.

Also, there's slight profanity in here, but I thought it was well deserved and should stay.

Wishful Thinking: Part One

Tootie came home from school and started tossing things around. She chucked them roughly into a suitcase, but didn't care whether or not it made it in. Huffing, she tried using her training wand to sort it better and accidentally set a blouse on fire. Trying to put it out fanned the flames and, increasingly annoyed, she called her godfather to remedy the situation.

"Deborvak!" she called. A slim faerie with mid-shoulder length dark purple hair (it looked more like black with a purple sheen), royal purple eyes, and black dragon wings appeared in front of her. His skin was ruddy due to his Fire element and he wore a white pinned robe with the symbol of two dragons crossed in gold. With his robe he had on a black crystal necklace and open toed sandals. His face was a little chubby, almost childlike, but his forehead was broad and his ears pointed. There was a single gold circlet around his index finger, which was new.

"We're setting stuff on fire?" he said. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

He aimed his wand and she cried, "No! I did it by accident!"

"I thought you were trying to burn the evidence," he said and quickly put out the shirt before it spread throughout her room. Unlike the other faeries Tootie had encountered, Deborvak seldom floated. Instead, he stood before her and inspected her.

"Bad day?"

"I have to go on a family trip with Vicky!" she cried.

"And you haven't got a thing to wear," he teased, but there was seriousness behind his tone. "You know, Tootie, since Vicky _is _family, it's not surprising you'd have to eventually take a family trip with her."

"Spare me your witticisms," she snapped. "I wish-"

"No," he said and smirked. "You don't. I retain the right to start a training session whenever I want, and I've decided this would be an excellent time for one."

"All right, but make it snappy," she said. "We have to leave by five."

"Oh, no, that's not what I meant," he said and his eyes gleamed. "Your assignment is to learn to use magic more effectively-"his gaze fell upon her scorched shirt- "and still manage to do it under Vicky's nose."

"But that's impossible!" she protested.

"Not impossible," he corrected. "Vicky is not Crocker. Vicky does not insist on every abnormal event being magic. In fact, Vicky, along with a lot of other humans in this town, is easy to dupe in regards to magic. Besides, faeries use magic under humans' noses all the time."

"Don't I have any say in when these training sessions happen?" she groaned.

"No," he said. "By the way, where are you going?"

"To some dumb hotel resort," she said. "We're going to tour all the sights and Vicky will make my life miserable."

"Not necessarily," he said. "Any changes in temperature I should be aware of? Any natural predators that might decide to chomp on a faerie dragon?"

"There's the brochure," she said, pointing at it morosely. It was on her bedside table and Deborvak leafed through it. In frustration, she resumed packing. It always seemed like Deb had the worst timing ever. Sometimes, she thought he liked to make her life just as miserable as Vicky, only in different ways. It had been a few months since their last training session and she still hadn't gotten the hang of it.

"Don't worry," he said aloud and put the brochure down. "You'll be all right."

"Were you reading my mind?" she said, wrinkling her nose.

"Did you get a headache?" he replied.

"No," she said, bemused.

"Then I wasn't reading your mind," he answered. "How about a starter test? Clear your mind of all negative thoughts and worries and try to pack using magic. It's a directed spell, so all you have to do is think about what you want in your luggage and how you want it arranged."

"How's Vela?" she asked, attempting to clear her mind and make small talk. Maybe if she concentrated on his strange family, she wouldn't feel so overwhelmed.

"All right," he said. "Tired. The baby's colicky. Why don't you try emptying your mind? Just pretend you're Cosmo."

"Very funny," she said. However, because it was the best suggestion she had, she envisioned herself as Timmy's dull witted godfather. Vicky couldn't hurt her because they didn't really exist in the same space and she was married to someone who could fix all her messes. There were no real worries or concerns, so long as she didn't get caught. The thought was oddly relaxing.

"Bibbidity bobbity boo," he teased. Rolling her eyes, she waved her wand. This time, the clothes went exactly where she wanted them to go. The suitcase shook, but it didn't react like an angry volcano. Encouraged, she thought about what else she needed to pack. Objects didn't float straight into the suitcase; they wobbled and hesitated, reflecting her uncertainties. However, within five minutes, she had everything packed and she waved the wand to shut the suitcase. It didn't budge.

"What'd I do wrong?" she asked.

Deb waved his wand and a small canister nestled in between her swimsuit and suntan lotion. "Insurance."

Tootie stepped forward and grimaced. "Is that really necessary?"

"I'm not going to be able to reach you part of this weekend," he said. "There's a mix-up about some dragon eggs. It might seem like a bit much, but I don't trust Vicky at all."

She eyed the can and then Deb. "What about your family? Would they come if I called?"

"Vela would, but you know her full name, I believe," he said. "Aurelia might if she's inclined, but she'll be helping me with dragon eggs. If it makes you feel any better, rumor has it Timmy's parents might be taking a family vacation to the same resort. If you really need help, you can always call on Cosmo and Wanda."

"They'd come?" she replied. "I'm not their godchild."

"I worked out something with them," he said and she eyed him skeptically.

"Yes, I _did _ask them this time, Toots," he said. "It's not like the time I told them at the last minute I had to go and then dumped responsibility on them."

She frowned, still uncertain. With the suitcase packed, all that was left was to steel herself to face Vicky for an entire weekend. She crept to the door and opened it- Vicky was shoving things into a suitcase and screaming all the while.

"An entire weekend of babysitting lost!" she cried. "All that money down the drain!"

"No one tell her Timmy's going to be there," Deb muttered in Tootie's ear. "Wouldn't want to ruin _his _vacation too."

"Like you ruined mine?" she replied.

"It's not ruined," he said. "Think of it as being under drastic reconstruction."

She huffed and shut the door. She didn't want Vicky to know she was outside and eavesdropping, although anyone within five hundred feet could probably hear her screeching. Shuddering, Tootie leaned against the door and looked at her godfather.

"I don't want to go. Can't you think up some other training session for me?"

"Tootie, I say this in all seriousness- you're stuck with your family for the rest of your life," he said. "Some people, like us, are unlucky enough to end up with mortal enemies who happen to live with us. You have to grin and bear it."

"But why this weekend?" she groaned. "I had plans."

"Judging by the amount of complaining Vicky's doing, she did too," he said. "Maybe you'll find you have something in common."

She looked at him sourly. "Did you find that out with _your _mortal enemy?"

"I did," he said and then smiled. "That didn't make me like him any more, though."

"Then why would you tell me that?" she groaned.

"It sounded like the right thing to say," he answered, to her exasperation. She looked around her bedroom at all the various art projects she'd been in the middle of working on and a collage that was half finished. None of it would get done this weekend. She'd have to leave it under lock and key to prevent Vicky from savaging it.

"This sucks," she said, stomping her foot.

Deborvak smoothed back her hair and smiled. "It's three thirty. How about we make some fun wishes before you have the weekend from hell?"

* * *

Their resort was located in the woods, but there was a swimming pool a half hour away. Tootie had spent the entire drive there being poked, prodded, and tormented by Vicky. Her spirits were low, despite the wishes she had made, and she didn't know how she was going to endure this weekend without her godfather or Timmy. Timmy's godparents were always around. Deb showed up when he felt like it, although he always came when she called. The whole world didn't seem fair right now and she wanted to curl into a ball and sulk.

Her mother shot an anxious look at Vicky. "We're going to go hiking tomorrow. For tonight, I want you two to settle into your room and try to get along."

"We're sharing a room?"Tootie and Vicky exclaimed. They immediately took a step away from each other and cried, in unison, "But _Mom_!"

"I want us to come out of this trip a family again," their father said. Tootie scoffed. That was impossible. She was only half related to Vicky and the half she was she didn't like. She wondered what Deb meant about a mortal enemy within his family. Whoever they were, they couldn't possibly be as bad as Vicky.

"We never were a family to begin with," Vicky retorted. "All right, let's get this over with. I might be able to babysit over webcam."

"This is a rustic, family gathering," her father said. "No internet."

Vicky turned around slowly; her jaw dropped. "You're joking."

"No internet and no TV," their mother said. Tootie thought of the can Deb had packed. She might need it. Vicky would not be a happy camper without her two favorite things.

"What is this- a third world country?" Vicky complained. "Who doesn't have internet and TV in this day and age? Next you'll tell us there's no phone, either."

"There's a phone," their mother said and they sighed, relieved. That was, until she added, "It's a ten minute drive."

"No phone?" Vicky sputtered. "No internet? No _TV_? That's it. We're leaving. Everyone, back in the car."

"We're not going anywhere," their father said. It was the first time he had put his foot down to Vicky in a while. "We are going to stay here and bond as a family."

"Without TV? Or internet? Or phone? What are we? Savages?" Vicky said, disbelieving.

"Get inside the cabin, Vicky," her mother said and, without protest, Vicky let herself be led inside. Tootie looked at the cabin- it was a rustic wooden enclosure with a couple screened in windows.

"Deb?" she whispered.

He appeared in miniature holding a black dragon egg the size of his body. It had upraised swirls and shook slightly in his arms. "Yes?"

"I'm pretty sure this is going to be the weekend from hell," she said. "Are you sure I can't wish myself out of it?"

"Too late for that," he said. "Just remember- make sure your parents are far away before giving into temptation."

"What?" she said.

"Leave no witnesses. No one's ever charged a mythological creature with anything and had it stick," he said and then vanished. Tootie's mouth hung open.

"Tootie, come inside!" her mother called and she stared at the space he had occupied.

* * *

"This is your half of the room and…" Vicky drew a line down the middle between the two beds. "This is mine."

"What if I have to go to the bathroom?" Tootie asked. The line kept the door on Vicky's side and gave Tootie only enough space for her bed and her suitcase.

"You should have thought of that _before _you got in the car," Vicky sneered.

Tootie frowned. She could fight with her about it, or she could try to use magic to change Vicky's mind or otherwise alter circumstances. She had used magic before to solve problems, but they were extraordinary problems, not mundane ones. Twisting her head, she looked out the window. She had an idea.

"Fine, but my bed has a better view," she said.

"Of what?" Vicky snorted. "Trees and more trees?"

"Of all the other cabins with kids who need to be babysat while their parents are away," she replied. Careful not to attract Vicky's attention, she waved her wand in front of her with her back to Vicky. The cabins moved closer and projected the image of young children in need of a babysitter. Vicky left her bed and the chalk to stare out the window.

"Let me see," she said. Tootie stepped away.

"Be my guest," she said. "But now you're on my side of the line."

"That bed sucks anyway," she said. "You can have it."

Tootie didn't have to see her sister's expression to see the dollar signs in her eyes. The cabins hadn't really moved- it was part of the faerie glamour she had projected. She didn't know enough magic to move large solid matter yet and the illusion would fade after a few hours, but she was getting better at it. Vicky was convinced, at any rate.

"No line," Vicky decided. "But stay out of my way."

"Gladly," Tootie muttered.

* * *

As it turned out, more than her family and the Turners were gathered in the group cafeteria a mile walk down the road. There were a number of teenagers too and a few small children. The small children immediately rushed to their parents and clung to them upon seeing Vicky. Vicky scoffed and headed for the group of teenagers, mostly male, who were in a corner discussing how lame their parents were for dragging them on this trip. Tootie found another corner and tried not to jump Timmy, who had also spotted Vicky and looked wary.

"Hey," a pink book said on the table in front of her. Tootie grinned.

"Hi, Wanda," she said. "Aren't you supposed to be with Timmy?"

"Cosmo and Poof are with him," she replied. "He'll be fine for a few minutes. Have you heard from Juandissimo?"

"He sent me a couple cards," she said. "He shows up once every two weeks and tries, but it's still kinda awkward."

Wanda nodded.

"Also, for some odd reason, he doesn't like Deborvak," she said and Wanda laughed.

"Deborvak scared him," she said. "Don't worry about it. Why don't you go say hi to Timmy? His parents are ignoring him again and it might make him feel better to have a friendly face."

Tootie scowled. Timmy was currently looking at Trixie's picture and muttering to it. Or maybe he was muttering to Cosmo, whom Tootie couldn't see from this angle. It was a large room and Timmy's parents blocked most of her view of Timmy. She was along the far wall, with the teenagers occupying the corner near the fire.

"He looks busy," she said.

"Try anyway, hun," Wanda said. "You shouldn't be by yourself. Where's Deb?"

"Something to do with dragon eggs," Tootie said. "I don't know. He's being all cryptic again."

"Hmm," Wanda said. "Did you want to do some training?"

"This whole weekend is training," she huffed. "And aren't you supposed to be watching Timmy and Cosmo?"

"Oh, Timmy won't wish for anything stupid with this big an audience," Wanda replied confidently. "And if you don't want to talk to Timmy, I could use some time away from the boys."

There was something odd about Wanda's offer, but Tootie couldn't piece out what right now. Nodding, she rose from her seat and Wanda became a pink ring on her right pinky. Almost the instant she rose Timmy's eyes were upon her and Wanda disguised on her hand. His nostrils flared and Tootie shoved her right hand into her pocket. Her heart hammered, but Timmy didn't pursue her. For now, it appeared she was safe.

* * *

Outside, it was a beautiful sunny day and the birds were chirping. Tootie had a crick in her neck and rubbed it to relieve the stiffness. Wanda had disguised herself as a squirrel and skipped along, leading Tootie up a path strewn with gravel. It wound through the trees and she couldn't see the end from here.

"What are you going to teach me?" she asked.

"I'm not sure if Deborvak taught you how to draw from the ley lines in emergencies," she said.

"He did," Tootie said, thinking on it. "A while ago. I think."

"A refresher course can't hurt," she said. Wanda set off on the path and Tootie followed. Their surroundings were peaceful and, despite herself, she smiled. She felt at one with nature here.

"I've looked into Deborvak's past," Wanda said.

"I know he's half faerie and half dragon," Tootie said. "And that I can never bring up his father."

Wanda nodded, skipping up a tree. "I can't find out much more than that, either. It's troubling, because every fairy godparent in Fairy World's history has had an easily accessible record. There's almost no record of him. I know he's new, but…"

"Does he know you were snooping around?" she asked.

"No," Wanda said and grimaced. "Don't tell him. He distrusts me enough as it is. I was looking into it to figure out what kind of godparent he might be, especially since Juandissimo is terrified of him now."

"You didn't ask Juan- my father- why?" she said. It was strange to call him her father, even though he was.

"He won't tell me," she responded. "And Deborvak is oddly mercurial, so it's hard to get a measure for his abilities."

"Are you worried about me?" she asked.

"You seem to be reasonably happy under his care and there doesn't appear to be anything wrong…" Wanda frowned.

"But?" Tootie prompted.

"I don't know," Wanda said and shifted into her true form once they were fully immersed in the woods. "Fairy World never has half breeds and those it has they cover up. It's unheard of to teach them magic. This whole situation is strange."

"What happened to the others like me?" she said. Wanda didn't answer and her heartbeat picked up. "Wanda?"

"When half breeds are born, there are no anti-fairies, so there's no balance. It's too dangerous to keep them around unchecked."

"_Wanda_," she pressed, growing nervous.

"Why don't you reach for the ley lines here?" she said and Tootie's eyes flashed. She advanced and Wanda gulped.

"What do they do to the half-breeds?" she snapped.

"They're locked up," Wanda said softly. "They have their own community, but they're not allowed on Earth or in the general population."

"They're punished for being born?" Tootie exclaimed.

"Jorgen put a ban on having children," she said, "because of what Cosmo did as a baby. It didn't stop illicit mating, especially between interspecies, because the ban only applies to fairy-fairy copulations."

"Then shouldn't they train them? There aren't enough fairy godparents to go around. Why would they lock them up?" Tootie's eyes filled with tears.

"When half-breeds were first born, they were magically unstable. This led to mental instability and some of them attacked children. Jorgen locked them up for their own protection."

Tootie hugged herself. "I'm not unstable."

"That's why Jorgen wants you trained," she said gently. "To see if the others can be trained as well."

"So I'm an experiment?" she asked bitterly. "What if I go crazy like all the others?"

"They didn't all go crazy," she answered. "I don't know the specifics, however. You'd have to ask Jorgen."

"Or Deb," Tootie muttered.

"No, Deb wouldn't know," she said. "He's less than a hundred and not born in this universe."

This brought her up short. They stopped at the base of a hill and Tootie frowned. "Did you really want me to practice or was this a pretense to talk?"

"The latter," Wanda said. "I have to make sure Cosmo, Timmy, and Poof are distracted before I sneak off."

"Is that why you wanted to know about Deb's past? Because he's a half breed and might be unstable?" she asked.

"No," Wanda said and shook her head. "I actually meant to ask you about Juandissimo and whether you two were getting along."

"As well as we can considering he's in love with himself and hates that his daughter is an ugly duckling," Tootie muttered.

"It'll pass, sweetie," Wanda said and then frowned. "Your braces, I meant. Unfortunately, Juandissimo will be vain forever."

"Is that why you dumped him?" she asked.

"Yes and no," she said. "It's part of it. The other part is that Juandissimo cheated on me and tried to force me into something before I was ready."

"Does he have any _redeeming _qualities?" Tootie huffed.

Wanda smiled. "He's an excellent godfather. And he can be very caring and concerned when he's not obsessed with himself."

"Wish I could see that side of him," she grumbled and looked up. Deborvak appeared in a tree with the black dragon egg clutched to his body. Wanda frowned.

"Told you I had to do something with dragon eggs," he said to her. "Hmm. While I am tempted to continue the training session and see how you succeed with more mundane problems, the temptation to force Juandissimo to stay here and prove himself is much greater."

"Fairies can't be wished away by other fairies," Wanda reminded him.

"This isn't 'wishing away'," he said. "That wish implies finality. This is temporary. The wording is vague and open to questioning."

"You'd really let me off the hook to spend time with my father?" Tootie said.

Deborvak's face became unreadable. "I'd prefer he came of his own free will, but I've had it up to here with disappearing parents. And it is _your _wish, not his."

"You'll grant it, then?" she couldn't conceal the excitement in her voice. Deb's lips twitched in a faint smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"I will," he said. "On the condition you continue to practice over the weekend and use magic judiciously."

He held up his wand and Juandissimo appeared in the woods. He was in the middle of brushing his hair and admiring himself in the mirror. At his appearance, Deborvak disappeared, but not before making a rude gesture at Juandissimo behind Wanda's head so she couldn't see him.

"What am I doing here?" Juandissimo wondered. His gaze landed upon Wanda and he rushed to kiss her hand. "Wandita! You are here to help me, finally, raise our child together! You shall adopt her and together, we will usher her out of the ugly duckling phase and into swan-hood."

Use magic judiciously, huh? Or she could do what Deb did and use magic to play tricks on people. Her lips twisted and she waved her wand. Three pinecones slammed into Juandissimo's head.

"You're here because I'm stuck here for family weekend," Tootie said and then smiled. "You're part of my family. Congratulations."

"Then why are you here, mi amor?" Juandissimo asked.

"Because Timmy is," she said simply. "Why else would I be here?"

Juandissimo's face fell and he glanced from Wanda and Tootie. Tootie forced her smile brighter, although it hurt her cheeks.

"Come on," she said. "You know, I don't even know what to call you."

"You are my first child," he said. "I have never had to worry about that before."

Wanda muttered something that sounded like 'maybe you should of thought of that before you had her'. Her gaze burned holes into Juandissimo's face.

The Hispanic fairy licked his lips and then said, "You can call me 'Father', if you want."

"I have a better term, but you can't repeat it around children," Deb's disembodied voice called.

"Quiet you," Wanda said and aimed a blast at where his voice had come from. It bounced off a shield and burned a small bush.

"Remy has a series of meetings to attend to for his father's company," Juandissimo informed them. "So I may have to come back and forth."

"That's fine," Tootie said. "As long as you come back."

Wanda's expression was dark and she nodded agreement, but there was something else hinted at that Tootie didn't want to guess. Then again, after her explanation of what happened to half-breeds, she didn't think she wanted to know, either.

* * *

Wanda returned to Timmy, Cosmo, and Poof, and Tootie decided, since no one was going to miss her for a while, to continue up the trail. Juandissimo followed, not bothering with disguises since there were no other humans around.

"Were you ever going to come back for me?" she asked. "Or were you just using me?"

"To be honest, I have never had the responsibility of a child that was my own," he said. "I am used to handing off responsibility."

"You were going to hand me off and avoid me?" she said. She was unable to keep the hurt from her voice.

"I did not know," he said. "I had not thought about it."

"You didn't think about me at all?" she said. In their past meetings, they hadn't been together for very long. Something or another kept calling one of them away. This was their first opportunity to speak since she had discovered her parentage.

"I was always busy and-" he stopped. Her lower lip was trembling and she had to fight off tears. The cuckoo in the tree above them looked a lot like Deb.

"I am sorry," he said and bowed his head. "Really and truly sorry. I did not mean to neglect you. It hadn't occurred to me what I had done, in full, and I am so very, very sorry, Tootie."

"Did you know that they locked half-breeds up?" she demanded. She sat down on the ground and struggled not to cry. Tears burned the corners of her eyes and she let out a single, hoarse sob. Juandissimo hugged her and he smelled strongly of cologne.

"I did not," he said. "Where did you hear this?"

"Wah-Wanda," Tootie stuttered and started crying in earnest. He held her tightly and rubbed her back.

"Had I known that, I would have come for you sooner," he promised. She thought she heard Deborvak scoff, but wasn't sure.

"Now that you know I'm your kid, you're going to be around more often, right?" she whispered. Her greatest fear was being abandoned and losing her magical heritage, turning her into a normal kid whose parents ignored her because they feared Vicky.

Juandissimo didn't reply and her heart rate quickened. "Right?"

"If I may be honest," he said. "I feel I am in over my head."

"You're not going to give up, are you?" she asked severely.

He looked into her tear filled eyes and thumbed away her tears. His expression was soft and comforting, like how she had always wanted her parents to look at her. Before they were afraid of Vicky, they had reacted like that. More tears formed.

"No," he promised. "I will not abandon you again."

"I wish you were my godfather," she whispered, not even thinking about it. The cuckoo Deb bird fell out of the tree and landed in front of them. Thunder boomed and lightning flashed. Jorgen Von Strangle appeared in front of them and Tootie clutched Juandissimo tightly, as if afraid Jorgen would take him away from her.

"_That's _the wish you hear?" Deborvak exclaimed. "What the fuck, man?"

"Language!" Jorgen thundered.

"No," Deborvak snapped. "You do not get to reprimand me. You heard her. She wants Juandissimo over me."

He shifted back into his normal form and she saw something she had never seen before. Deborvak had a tail and it was twitching madly, sweeping the dust back and forth. It twitched in time with his ears.

"Godchildren do not normally wish for other children's godparents," Jorgen said, ignoring Deborvak entirely. "However, as this is a special circumstance-"

"I don't get a say in this?" Deb asked. He sounded hurt. "You just get to take her away from me and that's it? I've been teaching her magic, exactly as you assigned me. I've been taking good care of her."

Tootie bit her lip. Deb's distress was obvious and she felt guilty now. She hadn't meant to say that. It had been a spur of the moment thing. Even after months, she still hadn't gotten used to the idea that 'I wish' held a real, tangible weight now. She was used to it being abstract and meaningless.

"Perhaps she would be better off with her birth father," Jorgen said and glared at Deb. To Deb's credit, he didn't react.

"You don't frighten me," Deb snapped. "You may scare every other fairy in the universe, aside from Big Daddy, but not me. You're a giant bully, nothing more."

Tootie's eyes widened. "I didn't mean it! I want to keep Deb as my godfather! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to cause all this!"

"Wouldn't this qualify as 'fairies cannot be wished away by other fairies'?" Deb said harshly. "Or am I misinterpreting your lavishly vague Da Rules again?"

Jorgen faltered. "This has never happened before, with a human half-breed in training desiring her father, who is an active godparent."

"Why is it you only plan for the contingencies after they happen?" Deb snapped.

Jorgen surveyed the group. "I will temporarily assign Juandissimo to Tootie for a week and Remy will have Deborvak."

"What?" Juandissimo, Tootie, and Deb said in unison.

"No," Deb said. "I refuse."

"You cannot refuse," Jorgen said. "It is a direct order."

"You hired me to teach Tootie," Deb said. "Remy is a full blooded human. I refuse to godparent him. Find someone else."

"There is no one else!" Jorgen snapped. "You will obey me!"

"You want me to babysit him?" Deborvak hissed. "Fine. I'll grant his stupid little wishes. But he'll never love me."

With that, Deb disappeared. He was the only fairy she knew who didn't leave fairy dust behind when he left. Mouth agape, she turned to Juandissimo, who looked just as stunned.

"I will return in a week!" Jorgen announced and was gone. Tootie felt like she'd been run over by a truck.

"While I do not like Deborvak, I think perhaps you may owe him an apology," Juandissimo murmured.

"I didn't mean…I didn't mean to!" she protested, tears welling again. "I forgot 'I wish' meant anything! This isn't my fault! Deborvakovik, come back!"

Though she had been taught they had to obey and return at their true name, he did not. It may have been that he flinched somewhere, far away, having heard her but not obeying.


	10. Mirror: Part Two

Author's Note: Cliffhangers are fun! XD I'm not even sure why a certain two are frightened, but they are and it made good dramatic tension.

Editing this when Deb wasn't around was odd, since he's usually here when I write or modify his words. Also, the edited version, with the additional scene, turned out longer than the original. Hope you enjoy!

Mirror

Deborvak appeared at Remy Buxaplenty's side. The young blond heir slumped in his chair and rubbed his eyes; he was seated at the end of a very long mahogany table within a room surrounded on two sides by windows. One set of windows looked out at the cubicles near the door and the other set looked out on a breathtaking view, assuming one couldn't fly. At the far end of the room, someone was droning on and on about a large chart propped up on a steel easel. The man, with bland brown hair and brown eyes, in a boring grey suit and tie, looked about as interested in his presentation as the associates falling asleep in their chairs gathered before him. Remy Buxaplenty kept rubbing his eyes when he thought no one was looking.

The room was longer than it was wide and looked like a giant rectangle with a buffet along the far wall. A silver coffee maker produced faint steam. Deb gave it half a glance before looking at the blond boy.

"Hello, Remy," he murmured, showing up as a doodle in Remy's notebook. He had to inch aside doodles, where Deb presumed the boy should have been taking notes. "I'm your new fairy godfather."

"Where's Juandissimo?" he hissed.

"Slight change of plans," he said. "I've been reassigned to you while Juandissimo owns up to his responsibilities."

Remy's eyes narrowed. He looked up at the presenter and stood quickly. After taking a quick glance at his father to make sure he didn't notice (Mr. Buxaplenty was dozing off), he dashed out of the room and slammed into the bathroom door. Everything within the bathroom gleamed and it looked like the faucets were made of solid gold. He wondered if the same was true for the toilet seats.

"What is the meaning of this?" Remy demanded. "I insist on being taken to Juandissimo at once!"

Deborvak didn't move. Technically, that didn't qualify as a wish. "Do you want the short version or the long one?"

"I want to see Juandissimo!" he snapped. "You, cheap imitation, make it happen!"

His eyes smoldered with concealed rage. "I don't take orders from children unless you say 'I wish'."

"If you're to be my fairy godfather, even temporarily, then you have to obey me," he replied. "I wish to see Juandissimo at once!"

Deborvak conjured up a picture and tossed it at him. "Look, it's Juandissimo."

"What are you? An imbecile?" Remy said. "I wish Juandissimo were here instead of you!"

Holding up his wand, he produced a note Jorgen had written. Irritated, the young boy read through it while Deb reminded himself that Remy was a child, an unfortunate child, and not an incorrigible brat. He probably loved Juandissimo, no matter how unlikely, and wanted him back. It was nothing personal. He probably demeaned everyone he came in contact with.

"For a week?" Remy said, once he'd gotten to that clause. "That's unacceptable. I demand a trial!"

"You're not entitled to one," Deb replied. He leaned against the bathroom floor and sought the ley lines underneath the building. It wouldn't help if he lost his temper with him and wound up hurting Tootie indirectly. He channeled his rage through the sewage pipes and down into the ley lines. Several sewage lines burst after encountering his magic and he smirked.

"Why not?" Remy said, oblivious. "I'm Remy Buxaplenty and I'm entitled to anything I want."

Deb frowned. Jorgen hadn't explicitly forbidden him to tell Remy the whole story. Unless he ordered him otherwise, he was free to use his best judgment. He smirked. His best judgment didn't always coincide with other people's 'best judgment'.

"Look, kid, this is a private matter and not suited for a bathroom," he said. "Can you think of anywhere else we can be alone to discuss this?"

Thanks to the grounding, he was able to keep the bite out of his voice. He felt relatively calm.

"I suppose my father's office is empty," Remy said loftily. "I wish we were there!"

Holding up his wand, he transported them to a large, emotionless room. It had ugly brown carpeting, windows covering an entire wall, and expensive leather furniture. On the walls were plaques that Deb only glanced at before looking back at Remy. The whole room reeked of pretense, but since Deborvak was used to pomp and circumstance, he shrugged. He knew when he was supposed to feel on edge.

"Now, what is this urgent matter that keeps me away from my Juandissimo?" Remy snapped.

Deborvak hesitated. He couldn't exactly tell a kid about Juandissimo's by-blow. While he had filled Cosmo and Wanda's castle with sex toys, in addition to Timmy's bathroom, the jokes had been targeted at Cosmo and Wanda. They were adult faeries and understood the jokes, even if it had irritated the crap out of Wanda. Remy, on the other hand, might not know anything about that sort of thing.

Plus, he was soiling his reputation to the one person who might actually care about it. Remy could ostensibly look up to him.

"_Well_?" Remy growled.

He settled for an oblique truth.

"Something unexpected came up and Juandissimo had to deal with a family crisis," he said. "Hopefully, by the end of the week, things will be back to normal."

"And he couldn't tell _me_?" Remy said, hurt.

"It was an emergency," he said. "I'm sorry."

"But you'll grant my wishes, right?" Remy said.

"As long as you say 'I wish'," Deb said, nodding.

Remy scrutinized him. He was sizing him up. Deborvak pretended like it didn't bother him and thought about Tootie. While he couldn't really fault her for wanting Juandissimo around (although he certainly didn't), he was still hurt she had wished him away. Then again, after what his father had done, he had never wanted to see him again. On that thought, his mind wandered down a dark road and he stopped it before it traveled too far.

"You'll do, I suppose," Remy said. "Unless there's a chance there's a richer fairy I could have?"

"Just between you and me, kid, I'm actually an adopted prince in my world," he said. At Remy's uncomprehending look, he added, "I'm not from Fairy World."

"Minor royalty, well…" Remy said and smiled. "This might be a step up."

"Not minor," Deb said and grinned. "She's the empress of the mainland."

"That could be useful," Remy said, stroking his chin.

"No," Deb blurted. "Seriously. You do not want to meet that side of my family. Trust me."

Remy took one look at Deb's face and frowned. "All right. But I don't want to return to that stupid board meeting."

Deb inclined his head. During his training, he'd endured a few boring lectures and participated in things that, at the time, seemed pointless. Unlike Remy, _he _hadn't had a godfather to bail him out.

"What did you want to do instead?" he asked.

To his surprise, the boy wore a real smile, not the artificial one he had expected. "What do you suggest? You _are _royalty."

Deb blushed. He usually only mentioned it when someone was giving him a hard time or pushing him around.

"Um, well, I'm not really the person you wanna ask right now," he said. "I'm still shell shocked. Why don't you pick it?"

Remy started to suggest something, but his words were punctuated by a yawn. The clock read nine thirty and the board meeting had probably been going on for hours now. Anywhere he might want to go would probably be closed.

"Can you make it look like I'm in two places at once?" he asked.

Deb nodded.

"Then I wish there was a version of me stuck in that stupid board meeting," he said, his lower lip curling. "And one asleep."

To punctuate it, he yawned again. "Damn my small boy metabolism preventing me from staying up late."

Deb smirked, held up his wand, and performed Remy's bidding. After the child had fallen asleep, he levitated and curled into a ball to brood. His tail flicked back and forth. He wanted to check on Tootie, but he knew better. Still, he had to wonder what kind of father Juandissimo would be, especially after being forced to own up to his responsibilities.

* * *

Tootie made her way back to the cabin. Juandissimo was a silent companion and she felt horribly guilty. It wasn't often she was selfish like this and made a huge mistake as a result. Although she felt sorry for Deborvak, especially since she did like him when he wasn't making himself unlikeable, she had wanted to be with Juandissimo. Unfortunately, all she really knew about him was that he had tried to drive a married woman away from her husband by sleeping with another married woman. That and he apparently hadn't wanted Tootie because she wasn't up to his standards. That was not inspiring.

"You're really a piece of work, aren't you?" she muttered.

"I beg your pardon?" he asked politely. Since they were headed downhill and the cabin was within site, he had shifted into a purple squirrel. She noticed the shade was lighter than Deb's royal purple and it also looked just as natural. No one ever commented on Deb's coloration, although she knew people had noticed Cosmo and Wanda's.

Speaking of Cosmo and Wanda- the instant she walked into the cabin, they'd notice Juandissimo's presence. There had to be a way to keep it on the down low before things got ugly. Or Wanda freaked out. She slapped her palm to her forehead. Stupid, stupid Tootie.

"Never mind," she muttered.

"No, go ahead," he said. "I will listen." He smiled, but she didn't smile back.

"You tried to break up two families eleven years ago," she said. "How could you be so selfish?"

It might not have been how she wanted to open up the conversation, but it had been weighing on her for months.

"When it comes to Wanda, love is blind," he said. "I cannot let go of my love for her any more than the sun can refuse to rise. I was desperate to have her attention. Oftentimes, she is so distracted by her idiot husband and her godchild to pay attention to me."

"She told me you cheated on her and that's why she left you," she said. "Also, that you're in love with yourself."

"I cheated on her, it is true," he said and lowered his head shamefully. They stopped walking to talk. "It was a moment of weakness that I shall regret forever."

"Who was it, anyway?" she asked, curious.

"Her sister."

"Oh." Tootie could see why Wanda would be royally pissed. If anyone had had the guff to cheat on her with Vicky, she'd probably summarily toss them into the next county. Although the idea of anyone cheating on her with Vicky was repulsive, to say the least. She shuddered.

"As for loving myself- who can blame me?" he said and conjured up a mirror to kiss his reflection. He flexed, ripped his shirt, and replaced it. She sighed.

"I do not know why she chose that idiot over me," he huffed. "I would give her the moon and stars."

"Maybe she didn't want the moon and stars," Tootie said. They resumed walking. Juandissimo, unfortunately, was still kissing his reflection. She didn't know how he saw where he was going.

"I do not understand it," he sighed. "With all my charm and grace, your mother fell for me-"

He stopped at her glare.

"Why didn't you stay?" she said. To her distress, she sounded hurt again. "You could have stayed and claimed me, even if it meant staying on the sidelines."

"I stayed for a while," he said and she tripped over a tree root. From where she landed, she was eye level with Juandissimo. "I stayed until I was certain Wanda would not appear in the next year, and then I left."

"How long did you stay?" she breathed. Her chest tightened and restricted her breathing.

"For two years," he said. "It is not surprising you do not remember me."

"And you didn't feel anything for me?" she asked dully.

"I was also godparenting," he said. "I had other responsibilities."

"Other responsibilities that kept you away for the nine years?" she pointed out.

"I am not good with responsibility," he admitted. She felt resentful and fell silent. The cabin was right next to them and Juandissimo shifted into a button on her shirt. He winked and she didn't wink back. There was no sense of camaraderie. To be honest, it felt weird and painful.

She pushed open the door. Somehow, the whole group had gotten pizza and there were pizza boxes piled high. Vicky had grabbed a slice and was hovering, hopefully, around the teenagers. No one noticed her open the door, which meant no one had missed her. Timmy, meanwhile, stuck out like a sore pink thumb. She smiled and headed for him- they could be alone together.

"Hey, Timmy," she said. "Did anyone save me a slice?"

"Wanda made me," he muttered. He handed her a paper plate. The pizza had already cooled, but it was still greasy and good. Juandissimo in pin form grinned at Wanda.

"Hello, mi amor," he said. Wanda shot Tootie a sharp glance.

"Why is he here?" she snapped.

"I might've accidentally wished he was my godfather," she murmured sheepishly. Wanda, disguised as a pink pin on Timmy's hat, slapped her forehead. Cosmo, also a pin, edged closer to Wanda. Poof was oblivious.

"But it does not matter, because now we have the weekend to ourselves," Juandissimo purred. Tootie's jaw dropped. She couldn't believe he was putting the moves on Wanda in front of her _and _Cosmo and Poof. How could he have such bad taste?

Fury balled in her chest and she choked out 'excuse me' before backing into an unoccupied space near the door.

"What the heck is your problem?" she hissed.

"I was merely expressing my gratitude on seeing her," he replied.

"Her husband and son are here, not to mention _me_," she said. "Don't you have any respect?"

"I respect her," he said and then grinned. "And I respect her desire to be seen with more attractive men."

"You forgot about her son!" she snapped. "Even if you don't care about Cosmo or Timmy, Poof can hear every word you're saying!"

"You do not like it?" he said and blinked innocently. "I can stop, if you want."

"I didn't know you could," she hissed. "You've been chasing her for millennia. If you really loved her, you'd give up."

"Would you give up on Timmy?" he shot back.

"If he was married for almost ten thousand years, I would!" she said. Still, the thought was sobering. In the distant future, if she ever hooked up with Timmy, she'd have to tell him she was half faerie. Then she'd have to tell him that Cosmo and Wanda actually knew and he was the last to know. She was not looking forward to it.

"I will behave," he promised.

"Good," she said through clenched teeth. "You'd better."

They rejoined Timmy and his faeries. Wanda's eyes narrowed at Juandissimo and Cosmo hissed. Poof smiled, blissfully unaware of his parents' antagonism.

"Why would you want Juandissimo to be your godfather?" Timmy said.

"It's complicated," she said. He continued to stare and she forced a smile.

"What are you going to do this weekend?" Tootie inquired brightly.

"Wish there was TV, internet, and phone!" he replied.

"Done!" Cosmo and Wanda chorused and Poof giggled. Tootie snorted.

"Why didn't I think of that?" she said. Out of nowhere, a router appeared in the cabin and a telephone was nailed to the wall by the fireplace. In front of the couch came a flat screen TV with a satellite hooked up outside.

"That solves that problem," he said, grinning, and plopped himself in front of the new TV. The teenagers oohed and immediately rushed for it.

"That's weird," Mrs. Turner said. "I don't remember seeing any of that here five minutes ago."

"Internet?" Timmy said.

"The internet wasn't here five minutes ago either," Tootie muttered. Nonetheless, the adults swallowed the excuse and dollar signs reappeared in Vicky's eyes. She grinned evilly and rushed out of the cabin, presumably to hook up her computer and regain lost revenue. Tootie's parents sighed and Tootie's mother cast a quick glance at Tootie, which made her stomach somersault.

"Quick question," she whispered to Juandissimo.

"Yes?" he replied.

"Does my mom know about magic?"

"What would give you that idea?" he replied. Her stomach churned.

"Call it a hunch."

* * *

Deborvak was unable to keep away and transported himself into Tootie's room after Remy had fallen asleep. He was slightly amused to note Tootie had successfully, with Juandissimo's help, given herself a separate room from Vicky. The internet router was lit up in the group cabin and Timmy Turner had fallen asleep in front of the new big screen TV. There was also more fairy dust on Tootie than normal (Deb didn't actually produce any dust and, in his universe, wing dusting meant a fairy was gravely ill). Since the world hadn't ended in catastrophe and there weren't any real major changes, he assumed Tootie's first night with Juandissimo had gone as well as could be expected.

She slept lightly and after double checking she didn't have a vestigial tail or anything else unusual, he popped out to check on her family. He really didn't care what happened to Vicky; he wanted to make sure she had nothing nasty up her sleeve. He left Vicky with a headache (mind reading always did that) and dropped in on her parents. The last was meant to be a quick pop in and out, since he barely knew them and felt slightly uncomfortable near them.

"Hello, little fairy," her mother said and Deb, disguised as a hanger inside their closet, froze. He hadn't left any dust behind, he hadn't announced his presence, and aside from the dark aura that always clung to him, he was invisible. It was true he had a faint 'weight', inducing minor chest pressure, but almost no one ever noticed.

He didn't make a sound. Cosmo and Wanda had drummed into his head how humans weren't supposed to know fairies existed. If he appeared and her mother discovered he was secretly Tootie's godfather, he'd have to leave her forever. He didn't know if the same rules applied now that he was temporarily Remy's godfather, but he didn't want to find out.

"Don't worry," she said. Her husband was fast asleep and snoring away. Deb's heart leapt into his throat and he squeezed his wand. Should he put her back to sleep or wait it out?

"You don't have to talk," she said. "But I know all about you."

Gee, that wasn't creepy at all. Given the current difficulties he was having elsewhere, with an evil sorceress trying to recruit him, her words sent a chill down his spine. He had enough people who "knew all about him" to last him a lifetime.

"I've always been able to see fairies," she continued.

Great security, Fairy World.

"I've always known there was magic, too. I even had a dream I took a fairy lover once," she breathed and he flinched. She remembered. Was he going to have to have another 'talk' with Juandissimo? Who the hell was this human, anyway?

Actually, that was a question worth investigating. He remained immobile and waited with bated breath.

"I find fairies fascinating," she said. "Sometimes, I even think I see pink and green squirrels."

The bottom dropped out of his stomach. Forget hearing the rest of her diatribe. Cosmo and Wanda had to be warned _right now_.

"Wait. Before you go- I don't want to hurt you. And I'd certainly never want to do anything to harm you or Tootie."

That last sent him reeling toward panic and he popped into the family cabin, where Cosmo and Wanda had tucked Timmy in and were fast asleep. They had disguised themselves as goldfish and slept in the fish bowl next to Poof.

In his normal form, since Timmy was the only human about, he rapped the glass with his knuckles. Cosmo started and fell back asleep. Deb sighed. He didn't really need Cosmo awake, so long as he told Wanda.

The normal rules of telepathy didn't apply to Deb. In his world, you could use telepathy as long as you were part dragon. He hadn't attempted to communicate with fairies in this world that had it yet, but there was a first time for everything.

((Wanda! Cosmo! Wake up! This is important!))

((Pink tutu, tofu…mountains made of cheese…)) Cosmo sent back and Deb rolled his eyes. Wanda flinched and rubbed her head. Deb winced.

((Sorry,)) he said. She blinked and focused her bleary gaze upon him.

"What are you doing here?" she whispered. "Jorgen reassigned you."

"I'm here to check on Tootie and make sure Juandissimo didn't disappear," he whispered back. "But I found out something you should know about."

"What is it?"

"Do you mind changing into your original form?" he said, grimacing. "I don't really feel like having a conversation with a talking goldfish if I can avoid it."

Rolling her eyes, she changed back into a fairy. "What is it?"

There was no point in beating around the bush, Plus, Remy could call for him at any minute. "Tootie's mom knows about the existence of fairies."

Wanda's face drained and she shuddered. She opened her mouth, closed it, and looked entreatingly at him.

"What do we do?" she asked.

"That's not all," he said and sighed, telling her about Tootie's mother's dream-like memories of Juandissimo and her interpretation of the pink and green squirrels. He added that she had lumped Tootie in with him, which meant she must have known subconsciously what was happening. By the time he finished, Wanda blanched, woke her husband, and told him everything.

"This is bad," Wanda said.

"You can say that again!" Cosmo said.

"In my world, humans know about fairies," he said and thought of the sorceress again. He winced. "But they see each other all the time. I assume nothing like that happens here."

Cosmo and Wanda shook their heads. Cosmo was clutching his wife's hand so hard it had to be cutting off blood circulation.

"Does she know we're Timmy's?" Wanda squeaked.

"No," he said. "I highly doubt it."

They exhaled, relieved.

"You don't know of any other humans, Crocker excepting, who believed in fairies as adults and weren't completely crazy?" he asked. Cosmo shook his head, but Wanda looked thoughtful.

"Do you mean outside of the 60s and 70s?" she asked.

"I don't mean people who were high as a kite, no," he said.

"There may have been one or two people who liked fairies as adults and weren't completely nuts," she mused. "But I'm not sure. Our job is to take care of our godchild, not to ferret out other humans."

Deb nodded. "Should I ask around?"

"You should ask Jorgen," she said and he groaned.

"Great," he said. "My favorite person in the world right now, right up there with whoever tainted those dragon eggs."

"What?" she asked and he shook his head.

"Never mind," he said. "This information wouldn't be available anywhere in Fairy World, would it? I'm sure people like that would have to be kept under close tabs in case they ever became dangerous."

"It might be," she allowed. "It's been a long time since we had the luxury of staying in Fairy World long enough to look into the public archives."

"And I'd never look at those!" Cosmo said and pulled a face. "Blech! Reading!"

"Then I'll try those first and Jorgen as a last resort," he said, ignoring Cosmo's contribution. "Be careful."

"You don't have to tell us twice," Cosmo said. Wanda nodded, eying Deb.

"What?" he asked.

"I can't figure you out," she said. "You obviously care about Tootie, but you're so unsuited to be a godparent."

"I was the only one they could get on short notice," he answered. "I'll check Fairy World's archives."

With that, he popped away. Before he left for Fairy World, however, he gave Juandissimo a nightmare. It didn't hurt to have insurance and if Tootie's mother remembered him, guilt pangs wouldn't hurt either.

* * *

Tootie awoke in the middle of the night from a nightmare about Vicky flushing her Timmy collection down the drain. She shook off the mental cobwebs and looked for Juandissimo, who had been beside her when she went to sleep. He was nowhere to be found.

"Juandissimo?" she called and then, feeling a little weird about it, "Father?"

He didn't come. Heart in her throat, she tossed aside the sheets. What if Vicky had gotten ahold of him? What if she had him in a butterfly net and was using his magic against him? Deb wasn't vulnerable to butterfly nets, but she knew through Cosmo and Wanda that normal fairies were. She felt nauseous.

Creeping out of the room in her pink nightgown, she tiptoed to Vicky's room down the hall in their newly expanded cabin. It looked the same from outside, but it now had four rooms instead of three. The door was ajar and Vicky was fast asleep, with no butterfly nets or any ominous weapons nearby. The red light on her webcam was on and she had probably fallen asleep torturing some innocent soul.

Deborvak hadn't taught her how to teleport herself and she looked down at the training wand he had given her. It looked like a normal fairy wand, except it was plastic instead of wooden, and the star on the end was smaller. She thought of the family room where Timmy was (because it had the TV) and pictured it mentally. Then she waved her wand and hoped for the best.

She appeared instantly in front of the fish bowl and almost knocked it over. Thankfully, she caught it before it fell over. The four sleeping fish were perfectly fine. Four? She investigated and discovered Juandissimo had inserted himself between Cosmo and Wanda.

Juandissimo might be her godfather, but he was still using her to get to Wanda. Nothing had changed. In fact, it might have gotten worse, because she had given him an excuse. Maybe Remy could love him, because Juandissimo showed him a different side. All she knew was that Juandissimo used her to get what he wanted.

Tears welled in her eyes and slipped down her cheeks.

"You're using me?" she said, louder than she intended. Timmy jerked awake, saw it was her, and attempted to go back to sleep. For once, she wasn't concerned with him.

"Juandissimo Magnifico!" she demanded. Juandissimo woke, along with Cosmo, Wanda, and Poof. To his credit, Poof didn't cry. He just looked incredibly confused.

"Hey! Stay away from my wife!" Cosmo snapped and shoved Juandissimo against the fish bowl side.

Tootie's nausea kicked up a notch and she swallowed back pizza with an effort. She couldn't stop crying.

"You snuck out while I was sleeping to be with Wanda!" she accused.

"Um, guys, what's going on?" Timmy whispered. They ignored him.

"Is this _true_?" Wanda snarled. Even under water, she had managed to partially turn into fire. The water boiled and she erupted out of the bowl with her hair blazing.

"I do not often get to see you sleep and I missed it," Juandissimo said, in his normal form too. "I did not realize Tootie would wake and look for me."

"What do you mean 'you missed it'?" Cosmo snarled. "What are you saying, pal?"

Poof's eyes widened and he whimpered. Timmy grabbed the fish bowl and held it tightly in case Poof started to cry.

"Have you been using this assignment as an excuse to get close to me?" Wanda snarled.

"It was a well appreciated bonus," he said, smiling. Tootie sobbed and Poof joined her. Without thinking, she magically reached for the baby. Light purple magical strands extended from her fingertips to force Poof into her arms.

"Tootie, _no_!" Wanda warned.

She couldn't help it. She wanted comfort and Poof was the closest thing she had. Wanda's warning stopped her just in time and the magical tendril, almost invisible to the naked eye, vanished. Timmy's jaw dropped.

"What the heck is going on here?" he demanded.

"You can't stay with her for a minute without thinking about me, can you?" Wanda snarled.

"You are the whole reason she exists," Juandissimo said. Timmy's eyes went wide as saucers and Poof stopped crying, utterly confused. Tootie, by contrast, wanted to vomit.

Wanda's glare could have melted steel. Cosmo quivered and he wasn't anywhere near her. Juandissimo wilted and she pointed her wand at his chest.

"Leave," she said. "We're going to talk to Jorgen tomorrow about this. Get out of my sight."

Juandissimo didn't argue. He took off and Tootie curled into a ball of misery. Unable to stop sobbing, she buried her face in her knees and hugged them tightly.

"Guys?" Timmy repeated.

"It's a long story, sport," Wanda said, sighing wearily. "We'll tell you in the morning."

"_Everything_?" Tootie choked.

"Maybe not everything," Wanda muttered. Aloud, she said, "Call him."

"Who?" she demanded.

"Deborvak," she said.

"He won't come," Tootie wailed. "I drove him away because I wanted Juandissimo-"

Wanda shook her head. "He'll come. Trust me."

* * *

Deborvak was currently up to his eyeballs in research. As it turned out, Tootie's mother was listed in the magical registry, but there were so many cross references and suggested readings that it was slow work figuring out _why_. It was slow, tedious reading and extremely dry. None of the authors had any sense of humor and they all stubbornly refused to get to the point.

After hours, he finally discovered the one book pinpointing why Tootie's mother was listed. He had had to go through about eight generations of Tootie's family history to discover it and double check surnames, along with name changes after immigrating. Humans had such problems with foreign names. If it had only stayed the same or, like with dragon surnames, taken the mother's surname or the father's if the child was male, he could have tracked it better.

Tootie's many times great grandmother was a full blooded fairy. She had escaped Fairy World's godparenting program after falling in love with her godson. Since Jorgen wasn't the easiest master to escape, she had had to dabble in the arcane arts to disguise herself and her lover. Eventually, they were discovered, but not before her grandmother had had several children. Jorgen had seized control of all but one, Tootie's surviving human ancestor, and condemned them to the Half Breed side of Fairy World.

The last child had inherited his mother's cloaking abilities and, as the magical bloodline diluted, it slipped Jorgen's notice. It was through Tootie's mother that the magic resurfaced, permitting her Second Sight and capable of being aware of magic. Her abilities had placed the whole family back onto Fairy World's radar and prompted fairy historians to get involved again. No wonder they had noticed Tootie's birth.

"Deborvakovik!" Tootie's voice, anguished and heartbroken, sent corresponding chills down his back. Dropping the book, he rushed to her.

He discovered her in the woods and curled in a ball with Wanda beside her.

"What? What's going on?" he said and hugged her.

"Juandissimo showed his true colors," she said darkly and he clutched Tootie tighter. Tootie had latched onto him and was holding him for dear life. She sobbed into his neck and he stroked her hair.

"Am I to assume the assignments will be reversed?" he said lightly, kissing Tootie's head.

"Assuming Juandissimo is still in one piece by this morning, yes," she snapped.

"Wanda, my dear, I thought you didn't advocate violence," he said. Tootie's sobs sent corresponding pain through him and he projected a calming aura.

"In this case, it's more than merited," she said. She eyed him warily. "You'd better take better care of her than Juandissimo. I'll be watching you, Deborvak."

"I fully intend to," he said. Tootie was soaking his cloak through with her tears, but he didn't complain. He thought guiltily of another moment like this, with another abandoned child, and a lump formed in his throat.

"Be good to her, Deborvakovik," Wanda said and he shuddered at the use of his full name. She popped away and he stroked Tootie's hair.

"Can I tell you a little story?" he whispered and she lifted her head to look at him.

"Uh huh," she said and buried her face in his neck again.

"It doesn't have anything to do with Juandissimo, I promise."

She nodded.

"Once upon a time, I fell in love with a woman. She was the most beautiful, gorgeous woman I had ever met. She had long blonde hair and when she laughed, I was on Cloud Nine. When she looked at me, I felt special. When everyone else saw a horrible scourge, incapable of anything, she looked at me and saw _me_. She loved me for _me_.

"She made me feel like I wanted to be worthy of her. No one had ever told me that I was capable of being good before or that I had good in me. I loved her. I wanted to marry her and start a family with her."

Tootie had stopped crying. She was staring at him, but he wasn't looking at her. He was staring ahead at the trees and not seeing them. In his mind, a slender woman with hair so blond it was almost white smiled back at him.

"But insanity ran in her family. Her father was completely mad and she had moments where she wasn't sane. Still, she gave me my first child."

"Vela…" Tootie breathed.

"Vela," Deb agreed. Tears formed in his eyes and he swallowed a moan.

"While she was pregnant with Vela, we started to have stupid fights where she would misinterpret or misremember something and then get upset. Or she would completely forget and act like it hadn't happened despite Stef and the others saying it did," he said. "It might not have been her fault. Her father was completely insane."

"You've never mentioned-"

Deb held up his hand and Tootie ceased.

"Then, one day, my beautiful Vela was born. And her mother was gone. She claimed the baby was no good magically and fled. Then she started claiming Vela had died or that she had miscarried. She refused to see her daughter and claimed I had stolen her.

"I wound up raising Vela by myself, with my family's help. But I never forgot the way the woman I had loved, who had seen the good in me, had left a daughter who needed her. It took me years to get over her and to stop looking for her or people like her."

He had cried then, remembering the past and his longing for what could never be. He had loved her deeply, truly, and she had abandoned them both.

"Sometimes people have a baby for the wrong reasons," he said. "That doesn't mean the child isn't loved. That doesn't mean there's something _wrong _with the child because one parent won't own up. There's something wrong with the person who can help make a baby and then decide they don't want anything to do with it. Don't _ever _blame yourself, Tootie."

"I didn't know," she protested and he smiled weakly.

He held up his wand and jerked them out of this world, into his own. It looked identical, although the firs smelled stronger and he saw nymphs flitting around at the forest. Faint light pierced through the thick leaves.

"I first met her here," he said. "Someday, when you're older and Timmy is too, you'll have the kind of love that could span decades. Don't ever give up on it because you felt abandoned some time in your life. Don't ever let bitterness consume you and keep you back."

He held up his wand and brought them back. Tootie's eyes were wide and her jaw dropped.

"I'm not bitter anymore," he said. "I don't hate her. I love Vela too much. I know it sounds contrary, particularly coming from me, but try not to hate Juandissimo.

"Juandissimo has always been selfish and as long as he is, he'll never have what he truly wants. You can't hold it against him- it's in his nature."

"I'm tired," she said, punctuating the statement with a yawn. Deb chuckled. It had been a long day.

"We'll go to sleep then," he said. He held up his wand and brought her back to bed. The first few rays of day had struck the horizon and he conjured up a curtain to keep them out.

"Good night, Tootie."

She was asleep by the time her head hit the pillow and he smiled. The information about her mother could wait until some other day. The kid had enough on her plate.

* * *

"You think we ought to adopt her?" Vela asked. She wore a short sleeved shirt with a black unicorn rearing on the front and 'property of Elkon' in silver glitter on the back and had on blue jeans, scuffed at the ankles. As usual, she wore no shoes. She stood near the blinds at the head of Tootie's bed. In her arms, she cradled what looked like a two year old girl with matching purple hair and eyes. The girl wore a pink onesie and looked human, if one ignored the inch long black unicorn horn on her forehead.

"No," Aurelia snapped. Aurelia wore a form fitting golden dress that reached her knees and matched her blond curly hair. She hugged a black dragon egg. It was warm to the touch and Vela shied away from it.

"But sis, it's a tradition," Vela said and grinned. "We always take in the castoffs."

"She belongs to someone and she's human," Aurelia countered, her lower lip curling. Her high heeled sandals, lace ups, clicked on the wooden floor.

Vela scoffed. "Since when has 'belonging to anyone' ever stopped Dad?"

"He won't adopt her," Aurelia replied. "And I don't want her. So stop this nonsense."

"You're no fun," Vela huffed and plopped onto Tootie's bed. Deborvak had passed out beside Tootie as a black cat with a purple sheen to his fur. Vela knew if she so much as touched his tail, he'd wake.

"I'm not here to be fun," Aurelia reminded her. "Someone in this family has to keep their head."

"Again, no fun." Vela pouted.

They froze, hearing footsteps. The door creaked open and Vela hissed, "Shit!"

She flung faerie glamour over both of them and they vanished from normal human vision. They looked like dust motes, but they were really still there, invisible. If Vela's daughter started shrieking, they'd be found out. Aurelia grabbed her arm and gave her a warning look.

Tootie's mother stood in the doorway and looked at Tootie, then Deb, and then at the space the sisters occupied. Vela didn't dare teleport away and send off any more magical whiffs. Plus, she didn't like the way Tootie's mother's eyes lingered on her father.

"Sleep well, little fairies," she said and, after kissing Tootie on the forehead, she reached to stroke Deb on the forehead. Vela caught it a second before Aurelia did- their father always invoked a shield to prevent him from being touched while asleep. When Tootie's mother touched him, she rubbed against the shield instead.

She puzzled over it for a minute and then looked again at where Aurelia and Vela were. Aurelia's grip on Vela's arm was painful.

"And people who aren't there," she concluded, leaving the room. Vela removed the faerie glamour and Aurelia was shaking.

"Should we tell Father-?" she asked.

"It doesn't matter if we're exposed," Vela said uneasily. "We're not godparents and we can pretend to be human."

Aurelia pointed to Vela's ears, which were tipped. "That's not human."

"Then what do we do?" Vela asked.

Aurelia scowled. "Keep an eye on things and hope nothing bad happens."

"Daddy can protect himself," Vela said softly.

Aurelia looked at Vela's daughter and then at the dragon egg she carried. "He can. Not all of us can."

Vela trembled. Reaching for her sister, she transported them back. Her heart had leapt into her throat.


	11. Critical Mass

Author's Note: Man, it's been a while. I've been feeling inspired lately, so I decided to give this a whirl. I'm also going to try updating my other fics more often too. Wish me luck.

On a side note- I don't actually expect people to read or review this. I know it's not really popular and that's okay, because I'm not writing it for anyone but myself.

Critical Mass

Crisis point meant Deborvak was waiting in Jorgen's office for the head honcho to arrive. Anxiety had prompted him to take the tainted dragon egg with him, as well as fingering the threatening note he'd received earlier. Trying to look normal, he floated rather than stood. Almost no one stood in Fairy World—one would think their legs had broken. Grimacing, he touched the egg. It stirred, warm. Glancing down at it once more, he started when Jorgen appeared.

"You have been hiding things from me," Jorgen accused.

"Glad we're dispensing with the pleasantries," he commented. "No 'hi, how are you', 'good to see you'?"

"We are here," Jorgen snapped, "to discuss your training and why Tootie's mother knows about Cosmo and Wanda."

"Ah," he said and smiled weakly. "I thought it might be something like that."

Jorgen glowered and he was unimpressed. Instead, he examined the black dragon egg with its silver whorls along the surface. He ran his fingers over it, glanced at Jorgen, and went back to examining the egg. Jorgen moved closer and Deb looked up.

"Tootie's mother knows of their existence," he corrected. "He doesn't know whose godparents they are."

"It is your fault she knows!" he snapped.

"No, it's Juandissimo's fault," he replied, still cordial. "She knew Juandissimo was a fairy. She can recognize otherworldly creatures. This may be some sort of security breach. Or something you want to look into as an almighty being."

"Are you telling me what to do, puny fairy?" he snarled.

"I'm not a puny fairy," he replied. "I am a 'puny' half fairy, half dragon. Two, maybe you should have thought about that before you let all this happen. Or kept a tighter leash on Juandissimo."

"You do not tell me what to do!" Jorgen thundered and aimed his wand at him. A burst of white light shot out, but Deborvak disappeared. He reappeared in another location and his eyes blazed.

"Do you really think a temper tantrum is the most effective way to govern?" he shot back. "We have a problem. You admit there's a problem. Why don't you solve it instead of attacking my perceived insolence?"

Jorgen's eyes narrowed, but, after a moment, he nodded. "I don't like you."

"The feeling is mutual."

"You are hiding other things about your magic," he intoned. "I will overlook that...for now. Tootie's mother poses a threat."

"Tootie's mother needs to be spoken to," he said, shaking his head. "She poses no threat."

"She can see fairies! She can expose us!" he countered. "Simply because you are not at risk does not mean everyone else is safe too!"

Deborvak frowned, stroking the dragon egg. Inclining his head, he sent it away and back into his world. He twisted the light crystal on its chain around his neck.

"She'd never willingly expose fairies. She needs to be reminded that just because she can see them doesn't mean that she should tell anyone," he argued. "Also, since she's probably had this ability since she was a child, and no one's been reassigned yet, a reminder is probably sufficient."

Jorgen glared. He slammed his wand on the ground, the building shook, and dust flew off the ceiling. Nothing happened. Blinking, startled, Deb stared at the giant figurehead. Jorgen snarled, blasted the wall (there were only painted on doors, after all), and blasted the area around Deb. The spell split, burning two new holes in the wall but not touching him at all.

"We will try it your way," he said, and, in his tone of voice, it sounded like a threat. Jorgen glared at the younger fairy and, Deb, bowing slightly in a false sign of deference, disappeared. The teleportation, which he did without his wand, caused his surroundings to fade and be replaced by Tootie's bedroom.

Tootie was, at present, staring at his daughters. Vela was nervous and kept shifting into small animals, then being startled out of those forms. Aurelia, by contrast, appeared perfectly calm, excepting her glowers. A few weeks had passed since the discovery and, to minimize danger to her offspring, Vela had handed her daughter to the palace nursery. Bereft of her daughter, when Vela was in her elfin form, she cradled anything that vaguely infant shaped.

At the moment, Vela was cradling (and chewing on) Tootie's pillow. Aurelia poked her.

"Stop that," she chided. Surprised, Vela dropped the soggy pillow onto Tootie's bed.

"Daddy, you're back! We were just discussing…" she trailed off, staring. He tensed, shifting, unconsciously, into his elf form. Tootie gasped, he realized his mistake, and turned back into his fairy form. He jumped onto her bed to gain height. On her bed, he was taller than Tootie, since they were of a height on a level surface.

"Jorgen is permitting me to speak to your mother," he started and then stopped at Tootie's incomprehension. He shifted on the bed and glared at Vela. "You told her nothing."

"I was waiting for you…" she protested. "Why have you been in such a bad mood lately?"

Deborvak sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. Normally, when he did this, his fingers slipped through and met no resistance. Lately he hadn't been brushing his hair or paying much attention to his appearance. As a result, it was tangled and he had to fight to extract his fingers. Vela's eyes widened and Aurelia nudged her.

"It seems there was another reason, beyond sheer selfishness, that Juandissimo chose your mother," he commented and gestured for Tootie to join him on the bed. She did, looking at the two girls. Vela was twirling a lock of hair around her index finger and shivering. Aurelia, haughty, was staring back, challenging Tootie. Nervous, Tootie focused her gaze upon Deb.

"What was it?" Tootie whispered. Any mention of her father made her tense, anxious and excited. He understood that hunger, but now was not the time.

"Your mother has what is called in some circles The Sight. She can perceive fairies and otherworldly beings, as a result of diluted blood. Very far back, in the medieval era, your many times removed grandmother was a fairy. Occasionally, such power resurfaces in slight traces."

"But…I'm confused," Tootie said, brow furrowed and lower lip underneath her upper. "Why is this bad news?" She pointed to Vela and Aurelia. "They've been freaking out all day. This is good news, isn't it?"

"Your mother knows about Cosmo and Wanda. My exposure and that of my daughters means very little in the long run. We don't belong to Fairy World and can't be punished the same way. However, if she can sense Cosmo and Wanda…" he trailed off. Tootie still looked baffled. Shaking his head, he conjured up Da Rules. Although the book didn't affect him, Jorgen had insisted he carry one. In his world, no one had issued guidelines on how to behave.

"They'd have to go away forever?" Tootie finished, reading the relevant section. He nodded, casting the book aside and back into the netherworld or pocket universe in which all magical items go when unneeded.

"Assuming she can connect the pink and green, plus purple, creatures to Timmy, yes," he answered.

"But _I _know about Timmy's godparents and they're still here," she pointed out. "Why should my mom knowing be any different?"

"That's where things get sketchy," he admitted. "Jorgen isn't sure how it will play out, and, as everyone in that world is fears capture and exploitation, his first reaction is to protect his flock. As far as reactions go, it's a reasonable assumption given prior experience. It does complicate matters."

He eyed her. "I have not been entirely honest with you. Nor have I been honest with my daughters. For the last two months, an evil sorceress has been attempting to court my favor."

Aurelia's jaw dropped and Vela yelped, causing Deb's bird cage to freeze over. Tootie, frowning still and bewildered, stared.

"What does that mean?"

"It means that for the past two weeks, in my world…an evil sorceress has tried to recruit me. For the past month, I've rebuffed her. She has started threatening people, namely my family."

There was silence. Vela's fists were clenched so tightly thin, sparkly blood trickles oozed down her wrists and onto the carpet.

"I hope you told Utah—"Aurelia started and Deb jerked his head.

"Utah? Isn't that a state?" Tootie asked, thoroughly baffled.

"Remember what I told you, about names having great power? Utah is short for something, but it's not a name you need to know," he said. "As Aurelia pointed out, however, I have another mistress. Due to the nature of the threats, and the evil sorceress already moving to attack creatures I am peripherally affiliated with…we have decided upon a course of action best suited for the situation."

"She won't come _here_, will she?" Tootie's eyes widened and she twisted the bed sheets.

"She will not," he confirmed. "However, this world could be considered a sanctum for my family, should things escalate. That is why we need to address the problem with your mother."

"Why didn't you tell me!" All three demanded.

"One, because you're a child with your own problems," he said, pointing at Tootie. "Two, because you are one of the people she specifically mentioned in her letter," here he pointed at Aurelia, "And three, because you have been having episodes lately and until we find a way to get you medicated, I didn't want to risk anything that could potentially upset your mental health."

The silence returned and he amused himself conjuring fire, then ice around it. The ice crystal, shaped as a diamond, managed to keep without melting despite the fire around it. Tootie gaped and he let the structure collapse, the fire disappearing into the air and the ice vaporizing.

"The dragon eggs were a ruse to attract my attention, although there is something similar going on in the world parallel to mine, perhaps to attract their emperor's attention," he said. "As things stand, however, we will deal with one problem at time. Your mother, by far, seems the lesser of two evils."

"If you're being threatened like that, why didn't you tell Jorgen?" Tootie asked.

Deb laughed. "Everyone in this world thinks Jorgen can handle any threat. It simply isn't true."

"Is that why you've been acting like this? Doing all these things?" Tootie pressed.

"You'll have to be more specific. I am afraid I no longer keep a diary of my life's events," he commented.

Groaning, the human girl flopped over backwards onto the bed. "Are you going to have to resign?"

"No, but I may have to be very careful for the next few weeks or months," he commented. "And until I know exactly what's going on, as tragic as I know this will be, Tootie…I need to suspend your training."

At her sitting upright, he continued.

"I'll still be your godfather, but the training you require on top of my subterfuge would leave me an open target for the sorceress. Using Fairy World's magic doesn't require tapping into any of mine."

"You're going to train with her?" Aurelia demanded.

"Aura, if she tainted the dragon eggs, then she needs to be examined. We've never seen anything that can affect unborn dragons like this," he said.

"She could kill you!" Aurelia snapped. "You absolutely cannot do this!"

"I don't have a choice," he said. "I already discussed this."

"With whom?" she snapped. "Not us! You didn't tell _us_!"

"Masha and Utah," he answered.

"Oh, of course, if you discussed it with _Masha_!" Aurelia cried, rolling her eyes. "Heaven help us! You told your girlfriend before us!"

Heat shimmered around her and the sun, through the window, appeared to grow brighter. This was an illusion, although the heat surrounding Aurelia was not. The room increased in temperature.

Tootie was starting to inch away. He hadn't meant to involve her in a family dispute. Any conflict made her uneasy and this was something she had no place in.

"We can discuss this later," he said.

"We can discuss this _now_," Aurelia countered. "I refuse to even entertain the idea that my father would work for someone like that!"

"I'm a grown man, well, fairy. You can't tell me what to do," he said. "And if I don't do this, she will come after you. I can't hide everyone in this world."

"Why not?" she cried. "Damn it, Dad, if she's capable of what you think she is, then…then…" She stopped, eyes filling with tears.

"Then what?" he pressed gently.

"Then she is a great evil you should not indulge! You have no place near her!" she exclaimed.

"And where I am before is a greater good?" he queried, smiling.

"She never threatened us! Dad, you simply cannot! I will not allow it!" she said. Tootie glanced at the window, perhaps trying to avoid looking at them, and Aurelia shoved the window open so hard that the glass cracked.

"It is not yours to allow," he reminded her.

At a loss, she looked around the room. Her lower lip was quivering, but she refused to give into it. Swallowing hard, taking deep steady breaths, she said, "I will not see that bitch anywhere near us."

"Don't worry," he said. "She's my problem, not yours."

"You are part of the 'us' I'm talking about!" she shot back.

"This isn't your choice to make, as I've said," he answered. "I am governed by a higher power."

"You and your damn duty!" she shouted. In a blazing light, she disappeared and scorched the carpet. Vela stared in her wake.

"Daddy…" she begged. "You can't!"

"Vela, my mind is already made up. Go after your sister or go bug one of the other fairies in Dimmsdale. I have to talk to Tootie and her mother," he said. Her lower lip trembled.

"Daddy…" she whimpered. She flung her arms around him and then vanished herself, in a spray of ice. He shivered, brushing off the ice. He used his magic to determine where they'd gone. Aurelia had returned home tell her boyfriend what was happening. Vela, crying, had reappeared to bother Poof, the nearest baby shaped object. If the situation weren't so dire, he'd laugh.

"Sorry," he said and forced a smile. "We're not usually so dramatic."

Tootie gaped. "Why don't you…ever tell me these things…" She bolted upright. "I'm supposed to be your goddaughter!"

"If you noticed," he remarked gently, "I kept Vela and Aurelia in the dark too. They reacted well, considering I had anticipated thrown objects and cursing."

"Who's Masha?" she grumbled, probably to change the topic rather than because she actually cared.

"As Aurelia said, she's my girlfriend. I've been dating her for, oh, about five months. Yes, around the time Vela was pregnant with Vorzheva. That sounds about right," he reasoned. "I'm bad with dates."

"Masha is…?"

"A dragon," he finished. "You may meet her, you may not. It all depends on how things go. Speaking of that, I really must speak with your mother."

"She's at work," Tootie said dully. She was staring at him as if she'd never seen him before. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Positive," he replied, attempting a grin. "She's only a human. The worst she could do to me is hit me with a flyswatter."

"That isn't-"

"What you meant, I know," he answered. "I'll see what I can do, Tootie. That's all anyone can ever really ask."

Not wanting to discuss the matter further, particularly in light of his daughter's reactions (he winced at Aurelia's burning the carpet), he went off in search of Tootie's mother.

* * *

Trying to ignore the problems loaded on her, Tootie ventured downstairs. There another problem awaited her, one with an evil grin and a pile of garbage. Vicky had dragged five huge garbage bags and piled then dumped them by the living room couch. She had heard Tootie's descent and beamed, in a way that told Tootie it was far too late to hurry back up the stairs. Her stomach clenched.

"I was wondering when you'd show up," Vicky called. "I have some garbage for you."

"You _are _some garbage," Tootie muttered.

"What was that?" she shrieked. She held a switchblade. Tootie gulped.

"Nothing, nothing," she responded, louder.

"I've been thinking," Vicky said. Tootie bit her lip to keep from retorting "that's new". Advancing, tossing the switchblade from hand to hand, she stopped in front of her younger sister. "You _love_ Turner. You spend a lot of time dealing with his garbage. So I thought you and the garbage could get better acquainted."

Tootie did not like where this was going. She dashed to the stairs and Vicky seized her around the middle. The switchblade, its edge tucked in, pressed against her stomach in Vicky's right hand. Tootie trembled, imagining Vicky on fire like Deborvak had conjured the diamond. She sniffed, thinking she smelled burning...

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Vicky demanded and flung her at the garbage bags. "Freak! You're just like Turner with his goldfish. You spend all day talking to that stupid parrot of yours."

Tootie scrambled and the bags slid beneath her. The tops fell away and she landed, face first, into a pile of garbage. Groaning, rolling over, she found herself pressed against the floor. Vicky slammed her foot into Tootie's stomach hard enough to take her breath away, and then, still standing on her sister, grabbed a small trash bin to the couch's right. She emptied its contents on Tootie's face.

"Now you're garbage just like him!" Vicky crooned.

Tootie fought back sobs. Her vision blurred and Vicky smacked her in the face with a putrid banana peel. The older girl cackled, upending another bag. More garbage rained, filling Tootie's nostrils, coating her hair, and landing in her mouth. Gagging, spitting liberally, and wiping her face with hands that were only marginally cleaner, she cried. Vicky laughed, sprinkling wrappers on her head.

"Clean that up!" she ordered. Laughing, she walked out of the room. Tootie sobbed and worked on controlling herself. Deborvak had told her she needed to center herself, and she couldn't do that in this condition. Then again, Deborvak had told her a lot of things, but he wasn't here, was he?

Rising from the mess proved harder than she'd anticipated. For one thing, rotten peels and molding material had no traction and her shoes were greasy. As she struggled to stand, she cursed everything. It wasn't until she realized that she'd spoken aloud that a familiar figure reappeared, cocking his head.

"You've been practicing," he said approvingly. "Though you really have to enunciate that last one. It has to come from the gut."

"You're always taunting me!" she accused. "You never help!"

Deborvak waved his wand and the garbage disappeared. "I was off, right now, to hunt for your mother when you called. That woman is surprisingly hard to find."

"Why don't you just use your 'I'm better than all the faeries in Fairy World' magic to find her?" she spat. He waved his wand again and a clean outfit appeared, a duplicate of her old one. Rather than snap back which she had expected, he looked contemplative.

"My magic doesn't work that way."

"Then what way does it work, other than to make you stuck up?" she countered.

"You're not angry at me, you're angry at the situation," he replied. "As for how it works—I've never actually tracked someone with as little magic as her. I tried using Fairy World's wand to look and I can't. It's like someone is concealing her."

"Juandissimo?" she asked.

"I had a thought," he continued, ignoring her question. "Your many times over grandmother was a fairy, yes?"

"Yeah, so?" she huffed.

"Fairies are immortal."

"What does that have to do with my mom?" she huffed.

"Maybe nothing," he said. "But don't you think it's odd that Jorgen has no idea where your ancestor is? Or even knew about you until Juandissimo reintroduced fairy blood into your family line?"

Tootie was unwilling to follow his train of thought. Scowling, still smelling garbage although Deborvak had cleaned herself and the living room, she plopped onto the now shampooed couch. "No. I don't."

"Don't be difficult," he scolded. "Your, we'll call her your grandmother for the sake of sanity, grandmother has hidden the rest of the family from magical prying. So no one is traceable, except perhaps Vicky."

"Why Vicky?" she inquired.

"The effect vanished with Vicky's generation," he said, shrugging. "Perhaps the blood was so diluted it no longer made a difference. More likely, your grandmother saw Vicky could prove a threat and removed the spell from her in particular."

"Yeah, right," Tootie scoffed.

"She almost killed Cosmo and Wanda out of aggression," Deb reminded her. "It's necessary to be able to track her. Any ancestors similar to her, too, would be cause for suspicion."

"You really think she's still around?" Tootie asked, skeptical.

"It's harder than you think to kill a fairy, particularly one powerful enough to elude the strongest creature in her universe," he said. "Unfortunately, if Jorgen can't find her, chances are good I won't be able to either."

He frowned. "However, she may drop by anyway, now that you're being trained."

"Great, more things that can go wrong," she grumbled. He smiled and hugged her.

"Think of it as more opportunities to meet relatives. Besides, Jorgen is only as powerful as he is because he wields Fairy World's whole power. He can track people by their connection to it. If your grandmother has gone off the grid…"

"Are you going to wait for my mom to get home?" she interrupted.

"I don't see that I have much choice," he confessed. "I can, however, make Vicky's life miserable in the interim."

"I wish you would," she grumbled. He hugged her, bowed, and disappeared. Sighing, she headed back upstairs and locked the door. Homework would be a welcome distraction. Compared to everything else in her life, it was positively mundane.

* * *

Magdalene was small and unnoticeable. Using Dimmsdale's ley lines had permanently dyed her hair whitish purple—white with a touch of purple. Unable to change her clothes the 'normal' way, she had settled for bartering with the Unseelie Court to receive what she needed. The Seelie Court, naturally, had dissolved into Fairy World's realm. For that alone, she almost wished she could go back.

She had discarded her crown long ago and while she retained her wand, it was a useless keepsake. Using it would alert Jorgen and she had no desire to meet that meddlesome fairy ever again. True, he had declared her sentence would only last a hundred years and she'd been in exile for nearly six hundred, so she could go home, perhaps. However, she doubted he'd keep his promise.

Although Nathaniel had died centuries ago, she had never stopped mourning him. Jorgen had taken away everything else from that marriage, what time had not stolen. Her beloved children lived in an area she could never reach and she was adrift, anchoring herself to her descendants to keep her sanity.

She stayed away from fairy godparents and anyone that could potentially recognize her. A powerful spell kept others from seeking her descendants, as well as her, out and it had worked for centuries. That was, it had worked until Juandissimo had managed to locate the one descendant with any real magical power. She still didn't know how he'd done it—lucky guess, she supposed.

Now she had Tootie to consider. Fairy World had appointed her a godfather/trainer, but he didn't concern her. Tootie represented the half fairy daughter Jorgen had seized and locked away from her. Through Tootie, she could reclaim at least one thing denied her.

Invisible, she stared through the window. Tootie was figuring out mathematical equations and scowling at the textbook. When she'd met Nathaniel, women could barely hope to learn to read and write, let alone attend school. Magdalene smiled, pressing her hand against class. Not now, not yet, but the time would come.

Perhaps she need not introduce herself at all. With her fairy godfather apparently occupied, she wouldn't have to worry about the girl's protection. Jorgen might be tracking her, but she doubted it. If he was, once she fell under Magdalene's spell, he would no longer be able to find him.

Yes, she liked that idea. Tootie would be untraceable and finally, Jorgen would lose.

A purple haired girl appeared in Tootie's room and pointed at the textbook. Like Tootie's godfather, she had a hint of otherworldliness about her. Magdalene sneered—also like Tootie's godfather, she appeared to be a mutt. She turned from the window and started thinking. As long as her godfather and his relatives appeared around Tootie, she would be shielded. They couldn't stay forever, however. And once they left…


	12. The Enemy of My Enemy

Author's Note: Uploading this before work today. It's long, I realize that, and it ends on a semi-cliffhanger. Also, there's a little bit of profanity on Tootie's part. Let's see if anyone reads and reviews...

"Enemy of My Enemy"

Tootie thought a dragon egg on her bed and ice coating her room was a strange thing to come home to after a long day at school. Trying to think of how to best navigate the room, she tiptoed, slipped on the ice near her bed, and hit her head. Her eyes watered as she pushed herself up and fell again. The ice burned against her palms.

"Can I get some help here?" she yelled. Waving her hands in the air, she waited for someone to grab them. "Deborvak?"

Nothing happened. Tears slid down her cheeks. Shoving against the ice, she pushed herself into a sitting position. Her palms slipped against the smooth surface and she hit her head on the ice again.

"Deborvakovik!" she screeched.

A note floated down and landed on her face. Huffing, she stared at it. It took a while for her eyes to clear enough to read.

"He is unavailable as he is _mine,_ little girl," a note with unfamiliar handwriting read. The words floated before her eyes and rearranged themselves into legible English. Once read, the note crumpled into ash.

"Vela?" she called. "Aurelia? Anybody?"

Skidding backward on the ice, she retreated until she hit her dresser. The dresser hadn't been frozen over and the drawers moved. Using them as leverage, she tugged one open. The resulting force sent her sliding down onto her back. Crying, she stared at the ceiling. The ceiling stared back and a pair of olive eyes contemplated her.

"Stefan?" she cried and then, desperate, added, "Fyraka?"

"Now, why would you call me?" a disembodied voice replied. His voice was a deeper baritone than Deborvak and slightly husky. Rolling her head to look at him only sent her sideways across her floor. The olive eyes vanished.

"Because my room is iced over and I don't know why?"

"I have no charge of you, little one," Fyraka replied. "Nor should I. You are Deborvak's sole responsibility and if he fails to answer, that is not my concern."

"But you answered!" she wailed.

"Because you called me by my full name and got my attention," he replied. "There is no love lost between Deborvak and myself and simply because he is beholden to you does not mean I should fulfill his obligations."

Hands scraped raw by her repeated attempts to sit upright, she settled for clinging to the drawer knobs and pushing against the back until she managed to sit. Fyraka was nowhere to be seen; Deborvak's cage had a fine sheen of ice. Parts of her floor had frozen, including the area in front of her bed, but the side near the window hadn't been touched. The window had a burn mark and she smelled burnt rubber.

"My room is frozen and I don't know what to do. Don't you care?" she said, sniffling. She curled into a ball only to end up on her back again with her knees to her chest.

"You are a pathetic figure," Fyraka said. He appeared then; an elf with tipped ears, dark brown hair, and brown eyes. He wore a leather vest over a red shirt and black trousers. He was tall, at least six feet, with a more circular face than she normally saw upon elves. When he moved, he hovered over the ice and where his feet had gone, the ice melted.

"Yes," she admitted. "Now help me!"

"The fact remains. You are Deborvak's. Why should I help you?" he inquired. His hair was tied in a ponytail and slung over one shoulder.

"Because...because..." she had no answer. "Isn't your hair supposed to be red?"

"It changes according to the seasons," he replied. "As it is currently winter, my hair is brown."

"Oh," she said, feeling stupid. "Please help me?"

"No," he said and sat on her bed.

"Where's Deborvak?" she huffed. Lying on her back with her legs pressed against her chest looked stupid and she released them to lie flat on an ice sheet.

"On business with the evil sorceress," he replied. "We haven't seen him in a few days. You're not very observant."

"He showed up yesterday!" she huffed.

"Masha will be glad to you know you merit more attention than her," Fyraka purred. "How long was he here for?"

"A couple hours...he looked pretty bad," Tootie answered, remembering. "He had bags under his eyes and he kept lighting things on fire. He also said we needed to be vigilant against my many times great grandmother."

"Did he?" he replied, sounding bored. "That's his business, not mine."

"If you don't care, then why are you still here?"

"I love to see something of Deborvak's fail miserably at a simple task," he answered. "You're supposed to be half fairy. Why don't you use magic? I know, a novel concept!"

"And do what? Melt the ice?" she said miserably. "I can hardly think straight with this cold and you're laughing at me."

"That is not laughing at you. This is laughing at you," he said and snickered. He followed it up with a snort and a derisive chuckle. "Would you like some more examples?"

"No!" She wiped her eyes. "Why do you hate me so much?"

"It's nothing personal," he replied. "I hate anyone who loves him."

"Why?" she snapped.

"He looks like Stefan. You may not have noticed, but he does." Fyraka bounced on the bed, swept a casual hand along the floor, and the immediate area near the bed melted. The ice turned to water, which then evaporated.

"What does that have to do with anything?" she cried.

"It's none of your business."

"You're sitting here, in my room, mocking me. I think I have a right to know what's going on," she snapped. "Or at least why you haven't left yet."

"I have nothing to do. Nothing marked on my schedule, save for tormenting little girls." It almost sounded like he was teasing her, but in her current mood, she didn't care.

"At least tell me why Vela froze my room," she said. She closed her eyes and imagined fire. The floor by her thawed and she created a small pathway to her bed. When she had nearly reached him, she stopped to examine him closely. He had a dark aura, but not wholly evil.

"She was upset. It seems that her father has, yet again, omitted an important detail," he said. "As to what that detail is, I can only conjecture, but it appears to have upset both girls."

He gestured at the window. Vela lunged at the bed and scrambled, snatching the comforter. Fyraka watched, disinterested, and she landed on the floor with the comforter beneath her.

"You're not going to help. At all," she huffed.

"No. I'm not. By the way, were you aware that a purple haired fairy with too much time on her hands has been stalking you for the last two weeks?" he answered.

"My great grandmother?" she replied.

"If that's what she is, then yes. She may reveal herself soon."

"What does she want?" she squawked.

He shrugged. Flopping back onto her bed, he stared at the ceiling and set the birdcage on fire. Already brittle from Vela's freezing, the cage snapped off its stand and toppled. With another wave, he destroyed the cage's decorations and any food left. When he was done, the birdcage warped into a metal mess.

"Just because he looks like his grandfather is no reason to hate him," she snapped. She clawed at the comforter and it came completely off the bed. On her stomach now, she snagged the bottom sheet. Fyraka glanced at her again, sighed, and offered her a hand.

"I thought you weren't going to help me," she huffed.

"I had a change of heart," he said. "Besides, I won't be around for too much longer."

"Why?" she asked, accepting his hand and landing beside him on the bed. Panting, she forced herself upright.

"I have other things to tend to," he said and then scowled. "Did you think the world revolved around you, little one?"

"Will anyone come back?" she whispered. Vicky was in a towering rage, angry with Timmy. Cosmo and Wanda were being cryptic, more so than usual, and trying to keep everyone away from Vicky. Meanwhile, her parents had gone on an extended vacation away from their eldest daughter and neglected to leave Tootie a phone number. They had also neglected to bring their cell phones.

Fyraka stared. His eyes narrowed and she thought him about to snap, but instead, he shook his head.

"I can ask my daughter and her girlfriend to stop by. Vela is not...in the best of circumstances right now," he replied.

"What's wrong?" she asked sourly, not sure she cared.

"Mental breakdown," he said. "Like her mother, except worse."

Tootie had known Vela was unstable, but had never thought it serious. She looked quizzically at Fyraka. Shaking his head, he conjured a fireball on his palm and then closed his hand over it, sending out a smoke puff.

"What about Aurelia?" she asked and sneezed. Fyraka produced a handkerchief with the Tylae insignia. He shook it out and handed it to her.

"Aurelia is off being the Princess of the Steppes. Or didn't you know that she is minor royalty?" he replied.

"Oh," she said. "I thought the idea of having a godfather was that, you know, he was supposed to godfather. But he's never around. And Vicky's gonna kill me one of these days."

"If you don't kill her first," he replied lightly. "As for this situation- it has been brewing for some time. Far be it for me to exonerate Deborvak, but this isn't his fault. He has split his obligations too far."

"Why can't he just stay here?" she burst out. "Who the hell cares about some evil sorceress throwing her weight around? He's _my _godfather!"

"Yes. This clearly supersedes his obligation to his teacher, his daughters, and to his wife. Let's also not forget his extended family, which includes me although I know he cares nothing about me in particular. Let the world burn so long as Tootie DeLisle keeps her godfather. I'm sure no one would notice Tylae sized craters in the earth."

"That's not what I mean!" she snapped, pounding her fist against her thigh. "I'm his goddaughter and I need him more than that stupid bitch! Why does she get to keep him? He's mine!"

"Be careful what you wish for," he cautioned.

"That's exactly what I'm talking about! Why is it that nothing I ever want is granted? Why doesn't anyone ever pay attention to _me_? Cosmo and Wanda are off godparenting Timmy and ignoring me again! Vicky's torturing me and no one cares! And Deb's off on this damn expedition! No one cares about me!"

"Did it ever occur to you," Fyraka said, his tone dripping acid, "that the world revolves around more than you? I'm sorry- we shall all try to arrange our emergencies to suit your busy schedule as a twelve year old."

"Fuck you!" she cried. "Why can't you be sympathetic? Why does everyone have to give me such a hard time?"

"Poor me," he snapped. "Pity me. If everyone who deserved pity as a child received it, there'd be far less unhappy adults. Oh, I know- 'that's not how godparenting works'. Let me tell you this is how the world works. Cosmo and Wanda are busy because Vicky went too far with Timmy. They have concerns beyond you. Deborvak wants to keep his family from being murdered and, since I suppose you might be considered part of that family, you might want to rethink your selfish attitude.

"Or not. You know, this is why I never wanted children. They insist on harping about their own problems, as though nothing should be more important than their petty day to day concerns," he snapped. His eyes darkened. "This too shall pass. Your problems with Vicky will come to a head and you will realize your power, seize it, and punish her for what she's done. Deborvak will return or he won't. Your life depends on yourself, not on someone else's pity."

"You're so cold..." she protested. She sobbed, hugging herself. "How can you be so cruel?"

"I never had a 'fairy godfather' make everything better. I never had a mother who at least attempted to connect with me. I never had a father. Count your blessings- you know your power and you will know how to use it," he snapped.

"Big deal," she grumbled, staring at her training wand. "All I know how to do so far is melt ice. Why did you offer to send your daughter and her girlfriend if you don't want to help?"

"They're lightsiders," he said with a grimace. "They might take pity on you."

Sweeping his hand around again, he created a firestorm that died as soon as it had covered him. The mirage was impressive and when she searched for him, he had gone.

She rolled over onto the bed, off onto the floor, and went in search for pain medication. Along the way, she wiped her face and sniffled.

Returning to her bedroom, she looked at the dragon egg. Fyraka had paid it no attention. She approached it gingerly. The egg was hot to the touch. She rapped her knuckles on it and created a small hole. Gasping, she withdrew.

"Hello?" she called. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to break your...shell? World? I'm sorry!"

Cocking her head, she listened for a protest. When none came, she crept near the egg. Using her fingers, she poked a bigger hole. A slim dragon head rested atop a tiny body.

"Hello?" she repeated. "Are you okay? I'm really, really sorry."

The dragon ought to open its eyes and look at her. She gazed at it, but it didn't move. Carefully, afraid it'd take her fingers off, she poked it. It was cold, with no residual warmth.

Gulping, her skin clammy, she touched it again. She ran her fingers underneath its neck and to where, in a human, one might find a heartbeat. The body had no scales and instead possessed very soft, tender skin. Its lungs did not rise and fall nor did its heart beat.

"Fyraka?" she called again. "Fyraka, I need help!"

He didn't answer. She extracted the dragon. It lay, sprawled, on her bed. Its wings were deformed mere flaps, and its tail a stub. Desperate, shaking, she pressed on its chest in an attempt to perform CPR. It didn't respond.

"Are you...dead?" she whispered.

Biting her lip, she sobbed. "Are you dead, little dragon?"

The dragon stayed quite still. She jumped off the bed. "Cosmo? Wanda? Please? I know you're busy, but I need you."

Like Fyraka, Cosmo and Wanda were duty bound to answer when their full names were spoken. They didn't respond and Tootie rubbed her arms. She was starting to get very creeped out. What exactly did someone do with a dead dragon on the bed?

It probably deserved a decent burial, but it was after dark and Vicky was downstairs. Short of jumping out of the window, she had no idea how to avoid her. Fyraka probably could have immolated the body, but she refused to consider it. It wasn't in her repertoire of skills and it felt cruel, to destroy it before it had a chance to live.

"Cosmo? Wanda? Poof?" she tried, desperate. She hugged herself and stared at the egg. Pushing her magic toward it, she willed it to life. She thought she saw it shake and then she realized that was her causing the bed to move. Slamming her palm into the table, she groaned. And a small voice spoke above her head.

"Poof, poof?" Tootie looked up. Poof, uncertain, gawked.

"You came," she whispered. "Why did _you _come?"

"Poof?" he repeated, bewildered. Pink fairy dust rained down and Wanda grabbed her son. Cosmo followed suit, confused. He looked from Wanda to Tootie and back.

"Why did you call my son?" Wanda asked stiffly.

"Why didn't you come when I called you?" she replied.

"Jorgen is keeping a close eye on Vicky," she answered. "What is it?"

"Hey, what's with that egg? It looks…" Cosmo stopped, staring at the egg and then the stillborn dragon.

Both adult fairies scrutinized the bed. Wanda blanched and she squeezed her wand. Poof vanished. Grave, Wanda settled on the bed to investigate. Her hands trembled holding the eggshell. Cosmo looked serious, but Tootie wasn't sure whether he was mirroring his wife or knew what was going on.

"Where did you get this?" Wanda asked.

"I found it on my bed, after I slipped and fell in the ice Vela made. Not to mention the window Aurelia burned," she said, pointing.

"Where's your godfather?" she replied, eyes narrowing.

"I dunno. I got was this weird note saying he belonged to somebody else. Fyraka said he was in a really bad situation and couldn't come. He also said something about children leading Deb into a trap…maybe this egg has something to do with it."

"If he's in trouble, he should tell Jorgen," Wanda said.

"This isn't that kind of trouble…at least…I don't think so. It's from his world, not yours," she said.

Wanda waved her wand and the dragon egg disappeared to parts unknown. Floating in midair, she and Cosmo stared and Tootie stared back. Wanda's gaze was penetrating, Cosmo's perplexed. Uncomfortable, Tootie bit the inside of her lip.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I don't know what we're going to do. You're not our goddaughter, so you're not our responsibility, although Jorgen had charged me with watching you before Deborvak came around. Now he's missing in action, but we have to take care of Timmy. You're on your own again."

"That's a bad thing?" she guessed.

"The last half fairy child left on Earth that Jorgen found was placed under custody and locked up in Fairy World."

"For how long?" Tootie asked, fidgeting.

"Indefinitely."

"Or until you die, whichever comes first," Cosmo replied. Wanda glared. "What? I'm not saying it's a good thing. I don't know how long she'll live."

"You're not going to report me, right?" she pleaded.

"No, but you're a liability," Wanda said with a wince. "The last powerful half fairy child left to her own devices created quite a mess. Technically, no one can stand in for Deborvak unless they have equal power and ability…and we're experiencing a shortage of fairies with that criteria."

"But it's not against Da Rules," she pressed.

Wanda looked pained. "No. But things how they are with Vicky…"

"Whatever happened with Vicky isn't my fault!" she cried.

"I know, sweetie, but she crossed a line. Situations like these are delicate, and when you add a missing godfather to the mix…things can get very bad very quickly."

"This isn't my fault!" she raged and the remnants of the birdcage crumpled into ash. She pushed the tears back. "I called and he didn't answer! Fyraka said he'd send his daughter and her girlfriend but they're not him either. Why the hell do I get the retarded godfather that's never around and excuses from you guys? Timmy doesn't need you like I do and he gets you anyway!"

"Setting a godparent over a half fairy is experimental," Wanda said. "And Jorgen didn't want us as your godparents…considering who your father is."

"That and we screw everything up," Cosmo added brightly.

"So I get stuck with someone who cares more about his skin than me?" she protested.

"I'm not sure that's what's going on…" she replied. "Deborvak?"

"He's not going to answer," Tootie said, disgusted. "He's too busy being someone else's bitch."

Wanda forced a smile equal to Cosmo's. "Hun, you don't know what's going on. Why don't you—"

"Why don't you lay off?" she snapped. "Timmy's got it so much easier than me. At least his parents love him. My parents abandoned me to Vicky. What the hell did she do that was so bad you can't tell me?"

"If it weren't so bad we couldn't tell you, we'd tell you!" Cosmo replied. Tootie snarled and balled her fists. The room smelled of burnt ozone. She eyed the window and the pane splintered. Smirking, she pushed with her magic and the crack spread until the window was split in half but still within the frame.

"All I want is someone to love me," she said. "Why doesn't anyone ever stick around?"

"I'm sure if Deborvak could be here, he would," Wanda replied.

"Yeah, right," she snapped. "And I'm sure if I say his name one more time and hold out my training wand, he'll just show up. Because he's not avoiding me or anything."

She waved her wand and snarled his full name, adding the surname that he'd adopted with his robe's insignia. "Deborvakovik! I know you don't give a shit about me, so don't even bother to answer this summons because you don't care!"

Wanda slapped her palm to her forehead. "That's an interesting way to summon your godfather."

"He's not going to show up anyway," she snapped. "What's the point?"

Thrusting out with her magic, she shattered the window glass It cascaded onto the ground and yet, she was still angry. She raised her training wand over her head and felt it plucked from her grip. Wanda was scowling. She waved her own wand and Tootie saw an image of Deborvak, head lowered in submission, naked from the waist down, with his shoulders hunched, and covered in lacerations. The blood welled on his back and looked it had come from multiple whip and claw marks. This image faded as a woman with black hair and a silky black dress hissed and cut off the link.

"It seems to me that if he could be here, he would," she commented quietly.

"Bullshit," Tootie said. She folded her arms across her chest. "This is such fucking bullshit."

"We can keep you hidden from Jorgen for a little while, while he's distracted with Vicky," she warned, "but after that, you're on your own. Whatever your godfather's going through, maybe it'll be over by then."

"Yeah, right," she scoffed. "He doesn't love me."

"He loves you," she insisted. "He just can't be here right now."

"How many times have you said that?" she charged. "How many times have you lied to kids and told them that their parents loved them when they didn't give a shit what happened?"

Wanda's eyes narrowed. "We don't lie."

"You grant kids their every wish and act like you're so high and mighty," she retorted. "You have all this power. You must feel like gods."

"No, we don't," she replied. "I know your life has been tremendously unfair—"

"Because of you!" she snapped. "I exist because of you! And I've been miserable ever since I was born, because the only reason I exist is so Juandissimo could try to get into your pants!"

"It doesn't matter how you came to be in this world," she replied. "It matters how you handle the situation. Throwing a fit and shouting isn't going to help."

"Wait, Juandissimo wanted to get into your pants?" Cosmo asked, confused.

"It's complicated," she replied.

"It's not that complicated," Tootie snorted. "He had me because he heard you were going to be connected to my family and he wanted to force you to be close to him."

Cosmo looked utterly crushed. Tootie struggled to care. Cosmo turned to his wife and a low buzz filled the room. Fuming, Tootie jumped off the bed and glared at the training wand in Wanda's hand.

Down the hall, doors slammed. Tootie paled, looked at Cosmo and Wanda, with glazed expressions on their faces, and rushed to the door. She hadn't heard Vicky coming up the stairs. Panicked, she tugged at the training wand. Wanda released it without noticing.

"Guys!" she gasped. "Vicky!"

The name broke through their communication and they gaped at her.

"Be good!" Wanda gasped and Cosmo, pale, nodded. They disappeared in a shower of fairy dust. The door slammed open. Left holding the wand and dreading whatever new tactics Vicky had putting the fairies on guard, Tootie shifted her head in her direction. Vicky was covered in mud and what looked like blood. She wore a manic grin.

"What's the matter, Tootie? You look unhappy to see me," she sang. "Don't you love your big sister?"

"What did you do to Timmy?" she croaked. Vicky advanced and Tootie held the wand out like a weapon.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she replied. "I didn't do anything to your precious pink hat freak."

"What did you do to Timmy?" Tootie repeated.

"Are you going to hurt me with that?" she scoffed. "It looks like a rattle."

She looked at the room with its burn marks on the windowsill, the breeze coming through the broken window, and the destroyed birdcage. A shadow moved beyond the window and out of Vicky's line of sight. Throwing back her head, Vicky laughed. Hands over her stomach, in between gasps, she panted, "You're…going…to hurt…_me_? With _that _thing?"

"Tell me what you did to Timmy!" Tootie demanded. "You hurt him!"

Vicky grinned and her eyes flashed. "He liked it."

"Bullshit," she snapped.

The grin faded and her eyes grew cold, thoughtful. She grabbed the training wand and Tootie screamed, magic bubbling through her into the wand. Breathing hard, Tootie willed the wand to appear as something more threatening, like a scythe. Vicky retreated.

"Tell me what you did!" she snapped.

"What you don't have the balls for," she countered. "Where did you get that?"

"It's none of your business," she retorted.

"You're going to fight me?" she scoffed. "Protect your beloved Timmy? He'd rather have me than you any day. And you know it."

Tootie's stomach clenched and her face was tight. A vein throbbed in her forehead. When she slashed the scythe down, the façade would disappear. Deborvak had cautioned her against confronting her sister. He said when she was older, she'd know what to do. He'd never told her what to do when she needed him and he wasn't there.

"Tell me what you did," she demanded.

Vicky's expression darkened. "These damn cats showed up and almost killed me. Turner doesn't have cats. What the fuck is going on?"

"Tell me what you did!"

Leaning forward, pushing the scythe away like it was nothing, she whispered in her ear. The wand fell and her vision faded. She heard disconnected screaming. She wasn't sure who was screaming, if she'd lunged with her powers or not. The scythe moved and she saw red. She blacked out for a few seconds.

When her vision cleared, Vicky lay on the floor in a pile of ice, Jorgen Von Strangle stood over her, and two anxious teenagers stood behind him. One had vibrant orange hair with brown tips. Her dragon earrings twisted around her ears before piercing the flesh underneath and she wore a leather skirt, split along the side, and leather vest over a black shirt. A wisp of a girl, she had a larger chest, sympathetic brown eyes, and a troubled expression. Her skin was tanned, her lips wind burned, and she twisted her hands anxiously.

The other girl had bright red hair, a single plait falling in the middle, and she wore a cut up rocker t-shirt and skintight black pleather jeans. She had a choker on her throat and her green eyes scanned the room. This girl had an oblong face, freckles under her eyes, and a touch of lipstick matching her hair. She was slightly heavier than her friend, or, perhaps the weight looked more distributed. She was muscular and her hair was cut just to her shoulders. As her friend gesticulated, the other girl flipped Jorgen off behind his back.

"Tootie DeLisle!" Jorgen thundered. Tootie smiled sheepishly.

"Look, seriously scary big dude, we've got it from here," the red head assured him. "We're Tootie's godfather's extended family."

"And where is Deborvak?" he snapped, rounding on her. The orange haired girl shrieked and latched onto the redhead.

"He's very busy," the redhead replied. The other girl nodded.

"With what?" Jorgen snapped. "What could be more important than tending to his godchild?"

"He's in trouble," Tootie said weakly. Jorgen glanced at her and then looked back at the two girls. The redhead straightened, slipping an arm around the other girl. Looking Jorgen in the eyes required looking up and her lip trembled. Her knees knocked together.

"And he couldn't inform _me _of this?" he snapped.

"He's been kidnapped by an evil sorceress," the orange haired girl blurted. Her friend gave her a dirty look and she shrugged. "What? He has. I know that's not what Masha says, but it's what happened."

Jorgen slammed his wand down on the floor. "Let us see what this evil sorceress has to say for herself."

"NO!" The girls cried. Black smoke swirled around the room and Tootie saw a ripple in the mirror near her bed. A woman with long black hair, tipped ears, and brown almost black eyes grinned cruelly. She wore a long black robe and her fingers, Tootie saw, had turned into claws. They had glittering blood dripping off the nails. The robe concealed her bulk and just looking at her made Tootie's insides seize. It felt like, for a second, someone had grabbed her by the throat.

"Who is summoning me?" the woman demanded. Her voice was rich and unctuous. She strode forward and, behind her, Tootie glimpsed Deborvak, beaten and bleeding, on an altar. His coloration, normally close to ruddy red, was grey. The girls whimpered.

"You have been taking one of my fairies hostage," Jorgen growled. Tootie started to inch away and he glared, arresting her with a gaze. "You are not going anywhere, except straight to Fairy World for a hearing."

Deborvak lifted his head at Jorgen's voice, moaned, and set it back down. His blood sparkled along the altar and sizzled, falling into dug out channels that ran toward a large black stone mounted into the floor. The back of his head was matted with blood and his hair had been shorn. To add to Wanda's earlier vision, he bore multiple bruises, claw marks, and whip marks, as well as having a twisted leg. Tootie's conscience nagged and she turned her head.

"Your fairy?" the woman echoed. "I don't think so. He agreed to save the dragon eggs and so he is mine."

"He has a contract with me," Jorgen snapped. "He is _mine_. You will return him."

"If you were so powerful, you'd take him by force," the woman said and shrugged. "I'm almost done, anyway. One more thing and you can have his body back…or whatever's left of it."

Jorgen slammed his wand and the house rocked. Vicky groaned, Tootie kicked her in the head, and she passed out again. The reflection in the mirror remained the same. Gloating, the sorceress snapped her fingers and she and Deb disappeared.

"Oh, this is so not good," the redhead groaned.

"Masha is going to flip a shit," the orange haired girl agreed.

"Think we should call _her _in?"

"I think at this point, if we don't, he'll die."

"Who are you two?" Jorgen said and his eyes narrowed. "Tell me before I haul you all off to Fairy World and you can answer questions before the judge!"

"Cellanastha, Deborvak's aunt—technically—Dad remarried and it's a long story," the orange haired girl said, bowing. "You can call me Cella."

"I'm Raelyn. Raelyn Tylae," the redhead said and inclined her head. "I'm Deborvak's…crap, give me a second. Okay, so Dad and Stef are third cousins through marriage and Deb is Stef's grandson. That makes me…sixth cousin? Yeah, that sounds about right."

"We're here because Fyraka, her dad, told us that Deb needed us to check in on Tootie," Cella added.

"It looks like our timing was a bit off," Raelyn said, wincing.

Jorgen looked murderous. Cella gasped again, latched onto her cousin, and clung tightly. The large fairy slammed his wand and the girls disappeared, as well as the room. They appeared in Fairy Court, exactly like regular court except with painted windows, a floating judge, and another fairy, with curly purple hair and preppy clothes, glaring at Jorgen from the plaintiff's position. Wherever the girls had gone, it had been to another place, because Tootie didn't see them anywhere.

"You will…" Jorgen started and then stopped, addressing Cella and Raelyn and startled to find the fairy woman in their place. "Who are you?"

"Magdalene," the fairy replied with a nasty smile. "You don't remember? You condemned me to exile for falling in love with my godson. I'm Tootie's many times great grandmother."

"I condemned you to exile for a hundred years," Jorgen replied blankly. "You've been missing for almost eight hundred."

Magdalene looked blank. Her voice was slightly shrill, not as grating as Wanda could be, but still not as pleasant (or as poisonous) as the sorceress. "You never said it was a hundred years."

"Yes, I did," Jorgen replied. "You are not supposed to be here. Tootie's condition is none of your concern."

"I'm claiming her as my descendent."

"You cannot claim a human child," Jorgen said and his expression darkened. "That was why you were exiled. She is not your daughter."

"Juandissimo doesn't want her," Magdalene said. Tootie's gut wrenched. She hadn't needed reminding.

"That is not for you to determine," he retorted.

"I want to put in a claim as her godmother," she pressed. "I can teach her."

"You are not allowed near children," he snapped. "As a condition of your punishment."

"You said I was only exiled for a hundred years," she said, haughty. She was pale and her eyes darted around.

"You were," he replied. "But you are not allowed around children permanently."

"Why?" she shot back. "Do you really think something is going to happen?"

"Now is not the time!" he thundered. "We will discuss this later!"

"We will discuss this _now_. Tootie has no godfather, he might _die_," she said and Tootie thought she said it with entirely too much relish, "and I am a surviving ancestor with enough magic to teach her. Juandissimo doesn't want the responsibility. I do."

"You are outcast from godparenting! I will not hear any more of this!" he snarled. He enacted another spell, but Magdalene remained. Her hair smoked, the prelude to bursting into flames.

"She is my last surviving relative with any real power," Magdalene growled. "I will claim her before you consign her to life with the other children you murder on a daily basis!"

"I have never murdered a fairy child," he snapped. The judge disappeared, looking uneasy, and Tootie sank to the floor. She whispered Deborvak's name, though she doubted it'd do much good .

"No, you only kill the half breeds like Tootie!" Magdalene shot back. "You shove them into their own section of Fairy World, forbid them from interacting with anyone else, and hope that the unstable ones finish off the lot! You think half-bloods are a blemish on your impeccable record, even though you've fathered a few yourself!"

"I will not hear such slander!" he cried. "You are excused! You are returned to exile!"

"If I'm returned to exile, then I'm taking what I came for," Magdalene growled. "You couldn't stop me before."

Grabbing Tootie by the collar, she shut her eyes, concentrated, and teleported them away. Jorgen snarled and his cry echoed. Great grandmother and granddaughter landed atop a tree, Magdalene perched like a bird. Tootie grabbed a branch to keep from falling.

"Where are we?" Tootie asked, befuddled.

"Back in Dimmsdale," Magdalene said and smirked. "Jorgen is going to be royally pissed."

"Nice try," Jorgen snapped, materializing beside them. "I have a tracker on Tootie."

"So do I," Deborvak croaked. He was ashen, bleeding from multiple places, and his hands were on the ground. Magic ebbed up from the ley lines. Behind him, Tootie saw the imprint of a severe looking woman with blue hair, navy blue robes, and yellow draconic eyes incline her head. She vanished before Tootie could get a second look. Deborvak keeled over, hands still pressed against the ground.

"He's not dead," Magdalene said. "I'm disappointed."

"Funny, that's what she said too," Deb said weakly. He passed out with the ley lines still sending magic into his body and cleansing the lacerations.

"He is not dead," Jorgen observed. "But you are all still in trouble. You will be remanded to Fairy World—and I _will _find out what happened."

Magdalene moved closer to Deb and Jorgen changed her into a roll of duct tape. "You're all coming with me. And don't try disappearing again. Or else."

* * *

After being transformed back into her normal self, Magdalene had to suffer the injustice of hearing Jorgen scream at her granddaughter while she glared at the wall outside the courtroom. He'd banished her from the proceedings and she fumed, having nothing to look at besides Tootie's useless godfather. Jorgen had ordered Doctor Ripped Studwell to tend to Deborvak—they were all under arrest pending the investigation, so they'd been remanded to the courthouse indefinitely. Magdalene didn't particularly care, since there was no one she wanted to speak to, save one fairy.

The only fairy she wanted to speak with, besides Jorgen, was Wanda, and she wasn't sure she could trust her temper long enough speak to her. Wanda had abandoned Tootie in her hour of need. Clearly, Vicky was a menace and she didn't understand why someone hadn't murdered Vicky already and called it an accident. Tootie had nearly done so earlier. Vicky incited untrained and unbalanced magic in addition to malice, and Jorgen permitted her to continue harassing her granddaughter. Wanda hadn't helped at all.

Magdalene had heard what Vicky had whispered in Tootie's ear. It was despicable Wanda and Cosmo hadn't filed an appeal to prevent that girl from getting within ten feet of their godson. Then again, that was what happened when godparents didn't get involved enough in their godchildren's lives. If Timmy had been her godson, she never would have let Vicky touch him.

Of course, the fairy responsible for preventing Vicky from harming Tootie was in no shape to help anyone. Deborvak was on an intravenous line of magic. The magic wasn't quite compatible, but it was the best they could find on short notice. To remedy the problem, they'd added another line of dragon magic. His wounds were healing, slower than usual, and she cast him a contemptuous look while she paced. The doctor popped in and out, and ignored her presence. She in turn ignored his.

Waiting gave her time to think. Aside from her son, she hadn't spent much time around her descendants. Vicky, technically, was hers as well, but she repudiated all weak humans. The last descendant showing any promise had immolated herself as well as most of London. She remembered Mary, though not with much fondness.

Tootie, however, could probably be taught without much difficulty. She had better control than Mary and functioned better in the real world. Mary's problem had been that her temper combined with mental defects caused her to react poorly under stress. From what she had witnessed of Tootie's behavior, Tootie could withstand much greater pressure before breaking.

"You're gonna wear a hole in the air," Deborvak teased and she whirled.

"This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't failed as her guardian," she snapped.

He closed his eyes. "This wouldn't have happened if someone else had been her guardian, you mean."

"Exactly," she huffed. "I know better than you what a growing fairy child needs. I don't know where you came from, but you should return."

He didn't respond; his breathing was labored and she wondered if he'd exhausted his ability to communicate. She felt a weak mental grasp, clumsy, and it withdrew.

The hospital cot rested in the middle of the room, though whether a room could be called such with no windows or doors, she didn't know. Doctor Ripped Studwell had bandaged his front and blood still seeped from the cloth. His brow was furrowed in pain.

"Why the hell won't he let me in to talk to her?" she raged. "She's mine, damn it."

"You've less of a right to her than Juandissimo," Deborvak commented quietly. He opened his eyes and they were fever bright.

"You have less of a right to her than Juandissimo!" she countered. "You left her when she needed you. You let her magic go unchecked. Why bother to be a godparent if you can't stay?"

"All very good questions," he acceded. "Definitely thoughts to consider when I'm not bleeding internally and capable of rational thought."

"Bullshit," she snapped. "You just don't want to talk to me."

He looked at her, sighed, and shut his eyes. His hand unclenched on the cot and his face relaxed when a sedative kicked in. Fuming, she resumed wearing a hole in the air. Jorgen had no right to steal another child away. His reasoning was preposterous. Simply because she'd fallen in love with one godchild didn't mean she'd fall in love with another, much less a female.

She flitted around the room and grabbed Deborvak's IV line. His hand grabbed her wrist and squeezed painfully.

"Always keep something in reserve," he cautioned her. "And my mistress is watching, so I wouldn't if I were you."

"And who would that be?" she scoffed.

"Someone you really, really don't want to meet," he replied. "Let's just say she makes Jorgen look like a puppy in terms of magic."

Shrugging, she pretended she cared and then floated away. Hunching her shoulders, she lapsed into thought. There was nothing else to do but wait for Jorgen.

"You know, if you're bored, you could always talk to me," he offered.

"I'd rather be bored," she snapped.

"Oh, ouch," he said. "I'll tell you what. I'll overlook your wishing I was dead and not give you the rejoinder Jorgen wanted to. Call it a truce."

"No, thank you," she remarked chilly.

"You're gonna be standing here, waiting, until Jorgen decides to haul you in. You can't tell me you'd rather worry yourself to death while you wait," he said.

"You must be feeling better," she snapped. "I have no interest in talking to you."

"Then why do you keep replying?" he asked, his lips quirked.

"Why do you keep talking?" she retorted.

"If you really found my company that detestable, you'd ignore me," he answered. "I refuse to believe a creature in exile for hundreds of years doesn't want to talk to a kindred spirit."

"You're not a kindred spirit," she snapped. "I have no love for fairies."

"Then we're kindred spirits," he scoffed.

She was going to ignore him. Closing her eyes, she settled on the floor in a lotus position and meditated. She expected him to interrupt but he was silent. Jorgen had ceased shouting and her heart rate slowed. Perhaps Jorgen had decided to go lightly on Tootie. What she wouldn't give to have a child again…

She missed Nathaniel with a dull ache that occasionally flared into agony. Recalcitrant and priggish he could be, he'd grown into a considerate, albeit egotistical man. She remembered the joy of carrying his child and how much magic it'd required—the last time she'd borrowed magic from Fairy World. Her banishment paled in comparison to the centuries she'd spent with him on borrowed time. His last wish had been to live with her as long as possible. He'd died so suddenly, she'd almost thought it was Jorgen's revenge…

"Magdalene!" Jorgen roared and she jolted, thinking of Nathaniel dying in her arms. She looked around guiltily and Fairy World's ruler plucked her up and transported them back to the courtroom.

Tootie had disappeared—he probably wanted to talk to them individually. She faced a brutish power-hungry giant fairy as she had before. Straightening her back, she swallowed and forced herself to be courageous. He couldn't punish her again. All he could do was continue her banishment, a foregone conclusion.

"Magdalene," Jorgen sighed. She eyed him.

"We thought you were dead."

"You wanted me to be, so you didn't have to worry about cleaning up your mistakes," she shot back.

Jorgen no longer looked angry. He looked weary and ran a hand over his face. "Do you think I enjoy punishing faeries?"

"Yes," she snapped. "You do. You enjoy punishing them for the things in which you indulge."

"I have never fallen in love with a godchild," he snapped. "I care about faeries. That is my job. I would never intentionally exile a fairy unless I thought she had severely broken Da Rules."

She looked askance and forced herself to make eye contact. "Nathaniel was different. I already explained that. I have nothing more I want to say. Go ahead and lock me up. Or whatever you do with rule breakers now."

"I have no intention of locking you up. However, you cannot serve as Tootie's godmother."

"Because her godfather is still alive?" Magdalene snapped.

"Because you are not allowed to interact with human children," he said heavily.

"I interact with human children all the time," she retorted. "What are you so afraid of?"

"You had no business growing that attached to a godchild."

"Cosmo and Wanda are attached to Timmy," she countered.

"Not like that," he replied, sighing. "Don't you see what you've done?"

"You act like it was crude, like I forced him into it. I waited for him to reach majority," she snapped.

"In the middle ages, that was far younger than it is now and even then it was inappropriate!" he countered.

"You already told me this," she hissed. "You took an hour to tell me how I'd wronged Fairy World and how I would be brought to suffer for my crimes. I've suffered for them. I've done my sentence. I want to be Tootie's godmother."

"The subject is closed. You can do anything else in Fairy World, but you cannot be a godmother," he said.

"I'm _related _to her," she growled.

"You are related to her very distantly," he corrected.

"This is ridiculous!" she huffed. "Cosmo and Wanda ruin the world on a daily basis. Juandissimo is sleeping with humans. Cupid shot his unrequited love with a love arrow and it didn't work, but no, you won't punish any of them. Me, I make one little mistake and you throw the book at me! This is why Cal and Daniela left!"

"Calente left for a very different reason," Jorgen remarked heavily. "Your request is denied."

He slammed his wand on the floor and she popped next to Tootie. Tootie eyed her warily and shifted a couple feet away. Magdalene felt tears prick the corners of her eyes and she swallowed a sob.

Deborvak disappeared and Magdalene curled into a ball. Pressing her face into her knees, she cried. Jorgen had tried to take Nathaniel away too, but she'd hidden him. She'd hidden all of her descendants. It wasn't fair. If only someone so well known hadn't fathered Tootie, Jorgen would never have noticed. He never punished the _famous _fairies.

"Are you okay?" Tootie whispered.

"May you never known heartbreak this severe, youngling," Magdalene whispered. Tootie knelt and then sat beside her. She offered her a tissue and Magdalene shook her head. Using calming exercises she'd perfected in the long centuries alone, she managed to squash it to an occasional whimper.

"You're my great grandmother, right?" she asked.

"Yes," Magdalene replied. Her voice was hoarse.

"Deb said you were spying on me. You couldn't have popped in to say hi?" she asked.

"According to Jorgen, I'm 'not permitted to have contact with human children'," she replied.

"You fell in love with your godchild, right?" Tootie said.

"Yes…" she said. "My greatest curse."

"What happened to him?"

"He died, youngling. A long time ago. I've been alone ever since," she said and huffed. "It's not like I've missed much. Jorgen is still the raging hypocrite he always was."

"Tell me about it," she grumbled. "He was going to lock me up."

"What changed his mind? He locked up his own son," she muttered.

"He did? And, uh, well…he said he wanted to see how things went. Also, he thought maybe I'd be a calming influence on Timmy," she replied. "Wait, Jorgen has a son?"

"An indiscretion with a human woman, not a child," she answered. "I don't see the difference."

"You don't see the difference between a child and an adult?" she asked, befuddled. "Uh…"

"I don't see why he gets away with these things and I don't! Your father used magic to force himself on your mother and he doesn't get punished! My godson falls in love with me and it's the crime of the millennia!" she snarled.

"Juandissimo's indiscretions will be dealt with," Jorgen snapped, holding an unconscious Deb in his arms. At Tootie's querying look, he said, "There was no point in questioning him. He is not well enough to hold a conversation."

When Jorgen wasn't looking, Deb winked at Tootie. Tootie pressed her lips together and held a hand over her mouth.

"When?" Magdalene snapped. "When you're done punishing everyone else? When it suits you?"

Jorgen glared, though fatigue undercut his irritation. "Cosmo and Wanda have been punished for their rule breaking. No one is exempt from Da Rules."

"No, you just alter them to suit the ones you like best," she shot back. "One godchild, Jorgen. I fell in love with _one _boy."

"You fell in love with a twelve year old boy! A _child_!" he snapped.

"He wasn't a child to me!" she replied.

A heavy silence followed. Tootie bit her lower lip and Deb looked troubled.

"You three will remain in Fairy World until I have finished conducting my investigation," he repeated and held his wand, poised to slam it down again.

"And you'll just let this delinquent cater to my granddaughter? Like that?" she snapped.

"He is on probation while I speak to his family about what happened," Jorgen replied. "Now, are you finished?"

Magdalene straightened her spine and glowered. "I want to talk to Cosmo and Wanda."

"You are to speak to no one," he ordered. "Good night!"

Slamming his wand down hard enough for the courthouse to shake, he transported them to a small house on the outskirts of Fairy World. It didn't matter that this house had actual doors and windows. Everywhere in Fairy World was a prison.


End file.
